The news that Boko Haram or the Islamic State’s African affiliate in West Africa (ISWAP) is hungry, disoriented, and on the run attributed Lai Mohammed, Nigeria’s minister of information clearly points in a direction wide away from reality, says top level security source.
The news that Boko Haram or the Islamic State’s African affiliate in West Africa (ISWAP) is hungry, disoriented, and on the run attributed Lai Mohammed, Nigeria’s minister of information clearly points in a direction wide away from reality, says top level security source.
According to him, the insurgents have shown “extraordinary” resilience on several fronts and have inflicted heavy casualties not only on civilians but on “the army [which] has lost a lot of its men”.
According to this military officer currently in Maiduguri, “the strategy was to push the insurgents out of towns that are known, to areas that mostly unheard of in order to push the official narrative in the media that war is almost won and settled,” he said. But the terror group’s “ability to hold their ground on several fronts and keep the Chibok girls away from every effort by the army to locate and rescue them is indicative that they remain a strong force”.
When asked whether the Chibok girls are still alive, he said that contrary to denials by President Buhari that he has no credible intelligence on the well-being or whereabouts of the girls ,the terror group has provided evidence and have remained adamant that their demands be met before they will release the girls.
“The abduction saga alone, I think has demonstrated that Boko Haram, cannot be dismissed as defeated. They have succeeded in doing what probably no group confronted by such an international coalition has ever done,” the military source said.
He added that most of the rescues reported are conducted in villages already retaken by the military.
When asked if there progress was being made in the war, the source admitted that Boko Haram had lost territory and fighters which has impacted their ability to go on the offensive.
Nonetheless, the sources argued, they were still able to kill soldiers, and they are holding their grounds in several areas. In addition, the group seems to be adapting strategies much faster than expected.
However, the media, according to investigations have been inundated with pictures that only show the losses of Boko Haram.
Contrary to claims by President Muhammadu Buhari, which is being echoed by top officials in Abuja, this reporter authoritatively learned that military casualties in the last 6 months have risen to very worrying levels.
However, these details are shielded from the public. The top military sources did not give further details and said that is standard policy not to release the details of casualties.
However, he insisted, “there has been progress”.
Musa Abubakar, a member of ISWAP told salkida.com that his group is no longer dedicated to counterign the misinformation of the media.
“Let people believe what they want to be told by the media of the Kufr (unbelievers), you in the media tell lies and are fed with lies,” Mr. Abubakar said.
Regarding the heavy losses his group has suffered he said,
“There has never been a war where on side did not suffer any losses.
“Do not forget that we are fighting soldiers from four different countries, backed by the rest of the world.
But here we are still alive, we will give everyone sleepless nights,” Mr. Abubakar warned.