LAGOS (AFP) \u2013 Nigeria\u2019s presidency on Friday said the country was at war
\nwith Boko Haram, apparently backing off previous claims that the Islamist
\nrebels were on the run and desperate.
\nPresident Goodluck Jonathan\u2019s administration has been fiercely criticised
\nover its handling of the conflict, both for its inability to stop massive
\nattacks on defenceless civilians and for what some have described as mixed
\nand contradictory messages on the severity of the crisis.
\nJonathan has termed the ongoing military offensive in Boko Haram\u2019s
\nnortheastern stronghold a success and maintained that normality will be
\nrestored to the embattled region by May.
\nOn Friday, presidency spokesman Doyin Okupe told the private Channels
\ntelevision station that the Boko Haram conflict was a \u201cwar situation\u201d.
\n\u201cWe are dealing with a very, very serious enemy,\u201d he said.
\n\u201cWe are engaged in a war that has been internationalised,\u201d he added in an
\napparent reference to Boko Haram\u2019s reported but unconfirmed presence in
\nneighbouring countries like Cameroon.
\nThe conflict has killed thousands since 2009 but many argue the plight of
\ncivilians in the northeast has worsened since the military began its
\noperation in May.
\nSince then, nearly 300,000 people have been displaced in the region,
\naccording to the UN, and more than 1,500 people killed, according to the
\nUN and figures compiled by AFP.
\n\u201cIt is very difficult, very costly in terms of lives lost. But we will
\novercome,\u201d Okupe said. \u201cWe are in the dying phase of this insurgency.\u201d
\nThe defence ministry on Thursday said the insurgents were \u201cdesperate\u201d to
\nescape Nigeria because of military pressure and would be \u201cdegraded towards
\nelimination shortly\u201d.
\nLawyer and human rights campaigner Jiti Ogunye criticised the government
\nfor putting out mixed messages.
\n\u201cThe inconsistency and empty boastfulness of the government\u2019s timeline for
\ndefeating Boko Haram is dispiriting and psychologically disorienting\u201d for
\nthose caught up in the violence, he told AFP.
\nOgunye also condemned an unrealistic pledge made in January by Air Marshal
\nAlex Badeh after he was named chief of defence staff that Boko Haram would
\nbe defeated by April.
\nThe defence ministry later said Badeh\u2019s comment should not be interpreted
\nas a literal deadline.
\n\u201cThere is a big gap between the increasing carnage and the futile empty
\nassurances that are being given,\u201d Ogunye said.
\nBoko Haram, declared a terrorist organisation by Nigeria and the United
\nStates, has said it is fighting to create an Islamic state in Nigeria\u2019s
\nmainly Muslim north.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
LAGOS (AFP) \u2013 Nigeria\u2019s presidency on Friday said the country was at war with Boko Haram, apparently backing off previous claims that the Islamist rebels were on the run and…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":20612,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[17,8],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-23615","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exclusive","category-interviews"],"yoast_head":"\n