The Federal Government has described as encouraging the recent global endorsement of Nigeria for a second time in the fight against terrorism as contained in the 2017 Global Terrorism Index of the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).
In a statement issued in Abuja Saturday, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, Minister of Information and Culture, hailed the report, which shows the largest decrease in terrorism deaths globally occurred in Nigeria, where terrorism deaths attributed to Boko Haram fell by 80% in 2016.
Mohammed said the total number of deaths was down with a 13 pee cent Year-On-Year reduction, compared to 2015, with four of the five countries most affected by terrorism – Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria – recording 33 per cent fewer deaths.
He said since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office in 2015, the progress made by Nigeria in the fight against terrorism was duly acknowledged by the Executive Chairman of IEP, Steve Killelea, who was quoted by the report as saying, inter alia: ”The decline of Boko Haram in Nigeria is having a positive ripple effect, with Cameroon, Chad and Niger collectively recording 75 per cent fewer deaths.”
The minister attributed Nigeria’s success in the fight against terrorism to the leadership of President Buhari, who provided not only the enabling environment for the Nigerian military to regain its lost glory in the fight against terrorism, but also rallied Nigeria’s neighbours to forge a wide, sub-regional front against Boko Haram.
”It is fitting, therefore, that the 2017 Global Terrorism Index acknowledges the success recorded by the Multinational Joint Task Force that has been exerting pressure on Boko Haram,” he said.
The minister recalled that President Buhari, in his inaugural speech on May 29, 2015, directed the relocation of the command centre of the fight against Boko Haram to Maiduguri, and then followed up with a shuttle diplomacy that took him to Cameroon, Chad and Niger, and resulted in the rejuvenation of the Multinational Joint Task Force.
Mohammed said the 2017 Global Terrorism Index would provide a fresh shot in the arm for the administration to continue its efforts to wipe out the vestige of Boko Haram, and to tackle all other forms of insecurity facing the nation.
