Minimah: If all Nigerians had united against Boko Haram, we would have won the war

Kenneth Minimah, the immediate past chief of army staff, says efforts to bring an end to the Boko Haram insurgency have not yielded the desired result based on the lack of cooperation among Nigerians.

Speaking in Abuja during his pulling-out-parade on Wednesday, Minimah called on the people to support the government and the military in the quest to stamp out insurgency.

“In the last decade, we have seen the extent to which people who harbour evil against their fellow humans can go to inflict pain and death on innocent people,” he said.

“This is the time for us to rise in unison and take actions against the activities of the terrorists and other criminal elements in order to foster peace and security.

“If we had all stood against the terrorists at the onset through condemnation of their activities and active collaboration with the military to confront them rather than use it as a tool to advance section, tribal, religious and political interests, we would not have been where we found ourselves today.

“We must therefore all unite and support our government and security forces to tackle the current security challenges.”

He appealed to the government to provide adequate funds for the military, expressing beliefs in the ability of the armed forces to curb the excesses of the notorious group.

He also recalled some of the challenges he experienced while in office.

Minimah was among the service chiefs that President Muhammadu buhari relieved of their positions last month.