ICC Note: Since his December 24 comments asserting Boko Haram’s defeat, Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari continues to weather criticism from Nigerian and international media alike. That’s because Boko Haram’s terrorist insurgency continues to render bloody results carrying body counts as high as 100 since Buhari’s statements. In addition, more than 200 of the girls from Chibok and thousands more remain captive. However, Nigeria’s military can count successes since Buhari’s inauguration and may be pushing on eventual victory. While marking successes can represent an important exercise in building morale, the world must continue to remember that northern Nigerians still exist in perpetual danger of murder, rape, and kidnapping by Boko Haram, and Christian communities stand as most vulnerable for this kind of targeting.

By Jacob Zenn

1/7/16 Nigeria (AllAfrica) – Boko Haram may be on the back foot compared to a year ago, but the group has adapted and bounced back before. It will do so again given the chance.

Shortly after Muhammadu Buhari was inaugurated as Nigeria’s new president in May 2015, he boldly declared that Boko Haram would be defeated by the end of the year.

The Nigerian and international public were rightfully sceptical. The prior administration under Goodluck Jonathan had declared several times that Africa’s most deadly militant group would be “soon be history” or that its leader Abubakar Shekau was dead, only to see both Boko Haram and Shekau re-emerge stronger than before.

However, just before 2015 was over, Buhari announced that he had succeeded in his pledge, claiming that Boko Haram is now “technically defeated”.

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