By Ayo Kehinde
The Federal Government of Nigeria has hailed the recent global endorsement of its fight against terrorism, as contained in the 2017 Global Terrorism Index of the Institute for Economics and Peace (IEP).
In a statement issued in Abuja on Sunday, the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, expressed delight at the report, which shows that the largest decrease in terrorism deaths globally occurred in Nigeria, where terrorism deaths attributed to Boko Haram fell by 80 per cent in 2016.
The Minister said it was also encouraging that for the second consecutive year, the total number of deaths is down with a 13 per cent Year-On-Year reduction compared to 2015, with four of the five countries most affected by terrorism – Syria, Pakistan, Afghanistan and Nigeria – recording 33 per cent fewer deaths.
He said the progress that has been made by Nigeria in the fight against terrorism, since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed office in 2015, was duly acknowledged by the Executive Chairman of IEP, Steve Killelea, who was quoted by the report as saying, among others: ”The
decline of Boko Haram in Nigeria is having a positive ripple effect, with Cameroon, Chad and Niger collectively recording 75 per cent fewer
deaths.”
Alhaji Mohammed said Nigeria’s success in the fight against terrorism is a direct result of the leadership provided by President Buhari, who did not just provide the enabling environment for the Nigerian military to regain its lost glory in the fight against terrorism, but also rallied Nigeria’s neighbours to forge a wide, sub-regional front against Boko Haram.
He congratulated the Nigerian military for its patriotism and sacrifice that have once again made the country a proud member of the comity of nations.
