The Minister of Information and Culture, Lai Mohammed, said on Tuesday that the military has met the December deadline to defeat Boko Haram handed down to it by President Muhammadu Buhari

Mohammed who has just finished a tour of some parts of the insurgency ravaged North east contended that “the military has sufficiently degraded the capacity of Boko Haram to launch spectacular attacks,” adding that “the rest is mop-up actions.”

President Buhari had in August at the swearing in ceremony of new service chiefs charged them to crush the insurgency in the North east in three months.

”Winning the war against insurgency is about sufficiently degrading the insurgents’ capacity for action. This the military has substantially done. The rest is mop-up actions,” the Minister said at a press conference in Abuja.

He, however, acknowledged that in spite of being decimated, the insurgents still had the capacity to wreak havoc as they have done with the resort to attacking soft targets such motor parks, entertainment centres, mosques and churches.

”Make no mistake about it, this will not stop overnight. It will gradually taper off. That is the way it happens anywhere such a war has been fought, Mohammed stated.

Continuing, he said that “while Boko Haram can no longer execute spectacular attacks, hold territories, declare a Caliphate and even collect taxes, lone wolf attacks – which are like the death pangs of a dying horse – will continue for some time andthen fizzle out. This is the absolute truth.”

Speaking about his experience on the tour of territories reclaimed from the insurgents, the minister commended Nigerian troops for the sacrifice they are making in the war on terror, adding that “Nigerians owe a debt of gratitude to our men and women in uniform for their patriotism, sacrifice and service.”

“I say this because what I saw during my trip to Maiduguri, Konduga, Kaure and Bama last Saturday left me, and indeed all members of my entourage, in awe of the commitment and loyalty of the military to our country’s peace and unity,” Mohammed said.

Once again, he called on Nigerians to support the military in the fight against Boko Haram terrorists, saying that it is not a battle to be left for only the soldiers to fight.

”Gentlemen, what is missing now in the war against terrorism is the civilian component, the need for all Nigerians to support our gallant men and women in uniform, and the need for them to own the war. This is not a war for the military alone, it is a war for all Nigerians,” he said.

Mohammed said that the information ministry would soon start a campaign to bridge the communication gap between the military and the media to ensure a smoother flow of information.

He said that the process, which would involve the engagement of top military and intelligence officers as well as senior journalists, is aimed at  keeping the media better informed so they can in turn better inform Nigerians about the war.”

”We also plan to use the media to sensitize Nigerians to be more security conscious, especially now that the Christmas and New Year festivities are approaching,” the minister further stated.