Nigeria’s former head of state, Yakubu Gowon, has come against President Muhammadu Buhari over the deadline for crushing the Boko Haram insurgency.
Speaking in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi state capital, he said: “I can tell you this, nobody can really talk about when any particular operation is going to end. And as a (former) commander-in- chief, I know this.
“Yes, you can say you target a particular time, but it may finish before that time or it may go slightly beyond. To end it, that is the most important thing.
“I assure you that I have absolute confidence in our military that they are going to really deal with the situation as they are doing at the moment,” said Mr. Gowon, who was the military leader during Nigeria’s civil war between 1967 and 1970.
Gowon further added: “May the spirits of these poor little children who are being brainwashed to carry out such heinous crimes rest in peace.”
He appreciated Buhari that his government has done much since its coming to office in May, to wipe out the deadly group.
Gowon advised Nigerians to pray saying “prayer is an alternative and the most effective weapon to defeat Boko Haram”.
“With prayers, God will touch their hearts (Boko Haram) to change for better,” he added.
