Alhaji Kashim Shettima, Governor of troubled Borno State in Nigeria’s North-East, was this night tongue-lashed by President Goodluck Jonathan over his claims, last week, that Nigerian troops charged with battling terror in his domain are demoralised and possess inferior arms compared with the ones wielded by Boko Haram insurgents.

“The statement is unfortunate,” Jonathan said during the Presidential Media Chat, concluded minutes ago. “You don’ expect a governor to say that. If what he said is correct, I will pull out the armed forces for just a month and let’s see what happens,” the Nigerian leader added.

He disagreed with the impression that government is neither working hard nor recording any successes in the war against Boko Haram.

“Everybody is worried,” the President said. “We are working very hard and we’ll continue to work hard. There are successes. It is not as if the security forces are not working hard – they’re working hard.”

He recalled that Boko Haram in the past freely attacked target across the North, including in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, but noted that the situation has since changed. “They (the armed forces) have been able to push this to the fringes,” Jonathan said. “If they are not working hard, we won’t be walking freely (in Abuja).”

He said the war has been difficult to win because the terrorists have been brainwashed by international terrorist groups, have found a way to attack and retreat to neighbouring Cameroon, and are unwilling to dialogue – unlike the Niger Delta militants who had identifiable leaders and were willing to dialogue with the government.

“We are working with the Cameroonian authorities because they attack and they run into Cameroon,” he stated but promised that the war against terror would eventually be won.

•Photo shows Governor Shettima of Borno State.

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