Buhari Says Boko Haram Aiming ‘Soft Targets’, But Nigeria Loses 2,006 Soldiers In Three Years

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday repeated his claim that Boko Haram has been defeated and reduced to aiming “soft targets”, but a new report says the group has targeted and killed at least 2,006 Nigerian soldiers in the last three years.

The report by SBM Intelligence, which researches and analyses data on security, politics and economy, was released last week. The data captures military casualties reported by PREMIUM TIMES and other news channels about attacks on soldiers.

Speaking while launching the commencement of armed forces emblem for 2020 in Abuja Wednesday afternoon, President Buhari praised the gallantry of the nation’s servicemen and women in the fight against insurgency, but again dismissed Boko Haram as “only daring soft targets.”

“The nation is appreciative of the gallantry and sacrifices of Officers and Men of our Armed Forces in the campaign against insurgency and other Internal Security Operations,” he said. “This has led to the return of normalcy in affected parts of the nation. The Boko Haram terrorists have been substantially defeated and degraded to the extent that they are only daring soft targets.”