We Will End Boko Haram Insurgency By The End Of This Year – Buhari

Boko Haram insurgents

President Muhammadu Buhari says he is hopeful that Boko Haram will be defeated by end of this year.

Speaking in Cotonou on Saturday during a gala lunch held in his honour by the President of Benin Republic, Boni Yayi, the president expressed optimism that the Multi-national Joint Task Force (MNJTF) launched in Cameroon on Thursday would start yielding fruits soon.

Yayi had described his country as the 37th State of Nigeria and had promised that 800 troops would be contributed to the Joint Task Force fighting the insurgents.

Buhari commended the gesture by Yayi, saying: “I assure you that we will defeat Boko Haram by the end of this year”.

“I am impressed by your concern and critical approaches by increasing your contributions to the multinational task force of the Lake Chad Commission. This is a great sacrifice on the part of the Benin Republic,” Buhari said.

“Even in my first coming into office under a different arrangement, we have learnt to live in peace with our neighbours. Within the week I was sworn in, I went to Niger, Chad. I was supposed to go to Cameroon but I was summoned by the G7 leaders to brief them about the security situation in Nigeria concerning Boko Haram which declared allegiance to ISIS which gives it international dimension,” the president said.

Buhari was on a one-day official visit to Cotonou as the special guest of honour at the 55th independence anniversary of Benin Republic. He was bestowed with the national honor of the Republic of Benin during the event.