Nigeria facing new Boko Haram threat – Buhari – TheNigerialawyer

President Muhammadu Buhari has said Nigeria is facing a new form
of Boko Haram terrorists’ threat and other security challenges,
which the Federal Government is looking into.

He stated this in his address on Friday at the graduation of the
National Defence College, Course 27, in Abuja.

Buhari said, “This occasion affords me another opportunity to
briefly reflect on the state of the Nigerian nation, particularly
regarding national security. At the inception of our first tenure
in 2015, Nigeria was at a critical crossroads. The Boko Haram group
was at the height of its infamy and virtually held Nigeria hostage.
It constituted a clear and present danger to our corporate
existence as a nation.

“After four years of gruelling work, I can report the progress
that we have made in tackling the security challenges, with the
combined efforts of our regional coalition partners, the Armed
Forces of Nigeria and other security agencies.

“In spite of the progress, the Nigerian state is still beset
with some existential and fundamental challenges. The Boko Haram
for instance, having lost their insurgency campaign, now
factionalised and mutated into a new form of terrorist threat.”

He added, “Banditry and vandalism, kidnapping, pastoralists and
farmers’ conflicts, cultism and political violence have become the
new threats. Other crimes such as proliferation of small arms and
light weapons, drug trafficking, drug and substance abuse and
communal conflict, all add up to the security mix.

“The state of education, the youth bulge, unemployment,
socio-political and ethno-religious divisions, fake news and hate
speech all compound the security challenges.”

The President noted that the government remained committed to
“promoting a vision of a secure, safe, just, peaceful, prosperous
and strong nation.”

He said, “Indeed, we shall be employing all elements of our
national and human resources to ensure security, a just society,
peaceful co-existence, national unity, prosperity and sustainable
development, while promoting our good standing abroad.

“I believe that the graduates of the National Defence College
Course 27 are sufficiently groomed in both character and learning
to take up this challenge.”