Buhari vows to end insurgency in short time

… Receives pledges from France, Canada, Germany

President Muhammadu Buhari on Monday reaffirmed his administration’s total commitment to ending Boko Haram’s insurgency in the shortest possible time.

He spoke at a meeting with President Francois Hollande of France after his participation in Monday’s G-7 Outreach Programme in Germany.

Buhari, according to a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mal. Garba Shehu, said Nigeria will welcome greater support and cooperation from France and other friendly nations for its ongoing efforts to overcome Boko Haram and restore full security and normalcy to areas affected by the group’s atrocities.

He said his administration was already taking concrete action to build a more efficient and effective coalition of Nigeria and neighbouring countries against Boko Haram.

Nigeria, the President said, would appreciate more intelligence on the terrorist group’s links with Islamic State, movements, training and sources of its arms and ammunition to facilitate the perfection of fresh tactics and strategies being evolved to overcome terrorism and insurgency within the country and the sub-region.

President Buhari reiterated at the talks with his French counterpart that there was absolutely no link between religion and the atrocities of Boko Haram.

He said: “There is clearly no religious basis for the actions of the group. Their atrocities show that members of the group either do not know God at all or they don’t believe in Him.”

In his remarks at the meeting, President Hollande commended President Buhari’s concerted efforts to galvanize Nigeria’s armed forces, security agencies and neighouring countries for more decisive action to eradicate Boko Haram.

The French leader assured Buhari that France will  give Nigeria and its coalition partners greater support against terrorism and insecurity, including military and intelligence cooperation, to help them overcome the security challenge posed by Boko Haram and its global terrorist allies  as quickly as possible.

He also called for greater bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and France in other areas including trade, economic and cultural relations.

President Buhari also received similar pledges of enhanced support from Prime Minister Stephen Harper of Canada and Chancellor Angela Merkel who he also conferred with before departing from the venue of the G-7 2015 Summit.

Buhari is due back in Abuja early Tuesday.

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