Buhari: We Will Persuade Boko Haram Terrorists To Embrace Peace

 

President Muhammadu Buhari has stressed the readiness of his government to persuade members of the Boko Haram sect to embrace peace.

Buhari made the pledge on Friday when a delegation of residents of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, comprising of the Senate President, Bukola Saraki, paid him Christmas visit at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

He spoke barely 24 hours after he claimed that the Federal Government has technically won the war against insurgents.

In an interview with the BBC, the President claimed that Boko Haram insurgents could no longer carry out “conventional attacks” against security forces or population centres, stressing that the sect had been reduced to fighting with improvised explosives devices and had been confined only to Borno State.

However, Buhari on Friday assured that his government will put in place mechanisms to persuade members of the sect to allow peace reign, though he did not disclose the nature which the persuasion would take and those who would be involved.

Buhari said, “On Boko Haram, this government is determined to make sure that we persuade them if they can be persuaded, we will use government institutions to persuade them to allow peace to reign.”

The President recalled that from the analysis of the All Progressives Congress during its campaign, it was discovered that the country’s three biggest problems are security, unemployment of youths as well as bribery and corruption.