By ROTIMI IJIKANMI

Following Saturday’s killing of some farmers by suspected Boko Haram members in Borno, the Federal Government has urged Nigerians not to lose hope in the capability and commitment of the military to routing the terrorists.

The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, made the plea on Tuesday in Lagos during a meeting with Online Publishers.

Mohammed said Nigerians should continue to support the men and women in uniform who are fighting the terrorists with determination.

He described the killings as “an act of cowardice and savagery by a group of deranged terrorists”, adding, that “it does not reflect the progress being made by the military against Boko Haram.”

“Going after soft targets is an act of weakness and desperation by the terrorists who have suffered huge setbacks in the hands of the military in recent times.

“The modus operandi of a losing terror group is to go after soft targets in order to stay relevant and it’s not only Boko Haram that does that.

“In 2019, Al-Shabab attacked DusitD2 Complex in Nairobi, Kenya, killing more than 20.

“Similarly, the Peshawar school massacre of 16 December 2014 in Pakistan, carried out by six gunmen affiliated with the Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan, left about 150 people dead, most of them students,” he said.

The minister reiterated the government position that “Boko Haram is badly degraded’’ and can only carry out cowardly attacks like the one against defenceless farmers over the weekend.

The farmers were reportedly killed on rice fields at Zabarmari in Jere Local Government Area of Borno.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that President Muhammadu Buhari had also expressed grief over the killings, describing it as “insane.”

“I condemn the killing of our hardworking farmers by terrorists in Borno State.

“The entire country is hurt by these senseless killings.

“My thoughts are with their families in this time of grief. May their souls rest In peace,’’ the president had said.

He added that government had given all the needed support to the armed forces “to take all necessary steps to protect the country’s population and its territory.” (NAN)

Information Minister Lai Mohammed

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