PRESIDENT JONATHAN: I'LL DEFEAT BOKO HARAM

President Goodluck Jonathan on Thursday vowed that as the Commander-in-Chief of the nation’s Armed Forces, he would defeat Boko Haram in Nigeria. He said as the President, he hears the cries and shares the sorrow and pain of victims of insurgency that have been turned to widows and orphans by the terrorists and he would not abandon them. Jonathan made the commitment in his New Year message broadcast on radio and television networks. The President said, “We are re-equipping and re-positioning our armed forces

to enhance their capacity to win the ongoing war against terror and insurgency. “Regrettably, terrorists have unleashed much pain and agony on our land. They have made widows of our mothers and sisters and orphans of our children. “They have shut down businesses, desecrated places of worship and brought untold hardship on both men and women. They have violated the culture and peaceful way of life in our country, which took generations to build. “They have destroyed countless schools and displaced people from their communities, driving them into exile. “I want to assure you that the terrorists will not get away with their atrocities. They will not win; they will be routed. As President, I feel the pain of all the affected communities and families. I hear their cries and share their sorrow and pain. “We will not forget; we will not look the other way. We have done a lot of painstaking planning and work to resolve the current security challenge. We will bring justice to the savage terrorists known as Boko Haram. They will be defeated. “That is the solemn commitment I make today as President of the Federal Republic and Commander-in-Chief of our Armed Forces.”