President Muhammadu Buhari in his Sallah message on Sunday disclosed that a leader of the ISWAP/Boko Haram terrorists was killed by Nigerian forces last month.

This, he said, was a signal that those who are masquerading under Islamic garb to commit terror are at their end.

“Last month, the leader of ISWAP was killed in an airstrike,” Mr Buhari said in the Sallah message shared by his spokesman Garba Shehu as Muslim faithful end their Ramadan fast on Sunday and prepare for Eid-el-Fitr on Monday.

“Since the New Year, thousands of fighters have surrendered to enter rehabilitation programmes,” the president noted further. “The territories they used to occupy are now seeing the return of those who were forced to flee their barbarity.”

Mr Buhari said the military operation against terrorists is approaching its conclusion and “victory is within sight.”

“The fight has been long and hard. The final victory is within sight. Boko Haram and its offshoots’ final embers are now fading,” Mr Buhari reckoned.

The president further touched on efforts around the country to restore peace and security which has been largely elusive

“Normality is finally beginning to return to the North-East. It is a long process.

“With the designation of bandit groups as terrorists, the challenges of banditry and kidnapping are being tackled differently in the North-western and North-Central states where the latest military acquisitions and the Armed Forces are being fanned out across the region to thwart acts of terror.”

The president also expressed delight over what he described as ”impressive reports” of the special operations to curb crude oil theft and illegal oil bunkering in the South-South zone of the country.

He, however, noted that despite the good news, some unpatriotic elements were bent on causing more pollution and destruction of national assets.

“While we are making progress cleaning the environment, some evil people are busy causing more pollution and destruction,” he said.

Mr Buhari was also quoted as directing increased coordination and cooperation among security agencies, saying an end had been brought to a silo approach.

The number one citizen who wished Nigerians Eid Mubarak to all assured that there would be no shortage of funds to provide security for the citizens.

(NAN)