A member of the Northern Elders Forum, Dr. Junaid Mohammed has dismissed as impossible claims by the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh that the Boko Haram insurgency will be over by April.
Mohammed in an interview with PUNCH said he envisioned the insurgency lasting another five years.
His words: “I think the statement that Boko Haram insurgency will end by April is rash. But I don’t want to be too harsh because I don’t know the man (Badeh). If Ihejirika had made that statement, I would have said it was an irresponsible statement. The new Chief of Defence staff is not known to me and I haven’t heard of his management style. But I think it is a rash statement.
“Most military historians believe that when you confront an insurgency such as the Boko Haram one and terrorism in the North-East, you have to calculate at least 10 years within which to put it under control. I expect the Boko Haram insurgency to last another five years or before they can bring it to an end.”
“Ihejirika and others had made such promises and up till now, they have not been able to control Boko Haram. When you give a deadline and you fail to achieve it, the responsible thing to do is to keep quiet,” he said.
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