President Muhammadu Buhari on Thursday regretted that Boko Haram chose to welcome German President, Joachim Gauck, into the country with the bombings at the Dikwa camp of Internally Displaced Persons on Wednesday.
Despite the incident that claimed over 58 lives, however, Buhari told Guack, who visited him at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, that his administration had succeeded in stopping the sect from attacking installations and towns as it used to do.
Buhari spoke at a joint press conference after their close-door meeting.
He said at the inception of his administration, he sought to know the reasons behind the failure of the Nigerian military to secure 14 local governments out of the country’s 774.
He, however, said the reasons had been revealed with the the $2.1bn arms purchase scandal.
Buhari said it had become clear that some officials of the past government shared the money meant for military equipment, therefore forcing soldiers into mutiny.
He added, “It is a pity Boko Haram welcomed you with explosions in Maiduguri that took so many lives, but I have attempted to explain in so many fora that Boko Haram is not what it used to be.
“While they were firmly holding 14 out of 774 local governments when we came in, they are not holding any local government now.
“What they have resorted to is using improvised explosive devices to cause maximum casualties on soft targets as they did yesterday (Wednesday).
“But for them to organise conventional attacks on military, police installations and take hold of towns, I think they are not able to do that. They send groups to kill vulnerable targets.”
Buhari admitted that the Federal Government must redouble its efforts to rehabilitate displaced persons.
He regretted that children and orphans constitute over 60 per cent of the two million IDPs, saying the least his administration could do was to quickly resettle the children and rebuild schools.
He commended Germany for helping Nigeria in the fight against Ebola and polio as well as its assistance in the IDP camps.
Buhari sought Germany’s support for Nigeria’s quest for a permanent seat in the United Nations Security Council.
“Outside bilateral, in the United Nations, Nigeria and other African countries feel we are qualified by our number, by our size and by our position in Africa to have a seat on the United Nations Security Council. We hope that Germany will support us,” the President said.
Guack, who spoke through an interpreter, promised Europe’s support of $50m for African Union’s initiative to fight terrorism.
He said Germany saw in Nigeria one of its most important partners on the continent. He also declared his support for the country’s anti-corruption and anti-terrorism campaigns.
Guack added, “You (Buhari) personally have made it clear that it is in a determined way that you intend to fight Boko Haram and its methods that deeply violate the principles of humanity.
“We intend to support you because we believe that it is a very good approach that you have chosen and that is something; we would make available financial support and that approach consists of joining forces with neighbouring countries to fight Boko Haram together.
“You have already taken steps in that direction as members of the African Union. We, as Europe, will support that initiative with $50m.”
He said he told Buhari during their meeting that development was not possible without good governance.
He promised that Germany would continue to provide humanitarian support, especially for women and children.
Meanwhile, Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo and the United States have condemned the attacks on the IDP camp in Dikwa, Borno State, on Tuesday.
Osinbajo said the country’s security agencies would hunt down the masterminds of the attack.
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