Boko Haram was not created to frustrate Jonathan – Governor Aliyu

The governor of Niger State, Dr Babangida Aliyu, has stated that the outlawed Boko Haram sect was not created to frustrate President Goodluck Jonathan’s government.

The governor, while describing the insinuation as erroneous and misleading, lamented that the federal government has not been able to fish the pillars behind the dreaded sect.

Aliyu made this observations when Minister of state for works, Amb. Bashir Yuguda, paid him a courtesy.

According to him, Boko Haram should be crushed in three months with the support of the international community, stressing that the external support in the fight must be handled

careful, so allies do not stay in the country for too long.

“We could not have spent four or five years fighting an insurgent group, and we have not been able to crush them. Whatever we do, we must realise that there is need for peace for any growth in gross domestic product (GDP)”.

Aliyu explained, “Boko Haram did not start with the presidency of Goodluck Jonathan. Maybe that is why we have not been able to nip this in the bud, because there is this belief by some people that Boko Haram was essentially created to stop Jonathan from being president. I do not think we should continue with that belief.

“I believe that might have stopped the crushing of Boko Haram at the right time. In this country, we must be bold to say that we must fight extremism in whatever nature; whether political, religious or social extremism, we must fight it. We must appreciate the need for moderation.

“It used to be like a rumour but I saw an interview in the print media that ‘oh, they are killing their people; let them continue to do it.’ This is a social malaise that has come. You and I know that there is an intense competition between those of us that have gone for western education and those that have gone to Almajiri system. The only beautiful part of it is that some of us have gone through it too,” he said.”