Boko Haram’s fighting force depleted, says military

• ‘Sakaba was not assassinated’
• NSDC urges investment in sugar to check insecurity
• ‘Society can’t forgive terrorists pardoned by FG’

Military operations in the North East has depleted the fighting capacity of Boko Haram and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists, the Defence Military Operations (DMO) has said.

The DMO made the disclosure, yesterday, while briefing newsmen on military onslaughts nationwide between July 29 and August 12, 2021.

According to the spokesman for DMO, Brig-Gen. Bernard Onyeuko, troops killed 27, arrested 54 and recovered 35 assorted arms, while no fewer than 1,000 insurgents and their families also surrendered to troops at different locations.

The Nigeria Army high command, however, denied claim by the widow of Col. Ibrahim Sakaba, that her husband was assassinated.

Army spokesman, Brig-Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, who denied the claim in a statement, yesterday, noted that the senior officer died while serving the nation gallantly.

He stated: “The Nigerian Army (NA) has been notified of an article making the rounds online, credited to Mrs. Oluwaseun Sakaba, widow Sakaba, alleging that the late senior officer was assassinated for refusing to loot funds meant for fighting Boko Haram.

“While the NA is not interested in joining issues with anyone with respect to the enormous sacrifices made daily by our gallant troops, it is, however, expedient to address the weighty allegations credited to the widow.”

BUT the Executive Secretary of National Sugar Development Council (NSDC), Zacch Adedeji, has said the unemployment and insecurity challenges in the country can be tackled with sufficient investment in the sugar industry.

Adedeji stated this when he presented a copy of the National Sugar Masterplan to the executive chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, yesterday, in Abuja.

He said the Masterplan was to revolutionise sugar production towards achieving national sufficiency in sugar production, lamenting that the country was contributing less than five per cent in the sugar value chain.

AS the Federal Government reportedly takes steps towards pardoning some ‘repentant’ terrorists, the President of Arewa Youth Consultative Forum (ACYF), Yerima Shettima, has said that the society cannot forgive any Boko Haram terrorist pardoned and re-integrated into the society.

Shettima was reacting to reports that the government might grant amnesty to Boko Haram terrorists, who surrendered to the Nigerian Army.

He said the government should rather build another planet for the terrorists to reside in after granting them amnesty because those whose families and beloved ones were killed in cold blood by the terrorists would not forgive.