Nigeria official says no territory under Boko Haram's control

All Nigerian communities hitherto under the control of Boko Haram have been retaken by troops deployed in the northeast of the country to battle the insurgents, a Nigerian official said Saturday.

Sani Sidi, director general of Nigeria's National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), told reporters in the northwestern state of Kaduna that success has been achieved this year in the fight against Boko Haram.

According to the official, there is no community that has not been liberated from Boko Haram due to the efforts of soldiers.

He said so much success has been made by Nigeria in dealing with emergency situations to completely rehabilitate victims of the emergency occasioned by Boko Haram's attacks.

"The government is working with various international agencies to make sure those at the internally displaced persons camps are fully rehabilitated," he said, adding the nation is soon getting over with the emergency issues.

Nigerian leader Muhammadu Buhari on Friday said efforts are underway to persuade militant group Boko Haram to embrace peace in the interest of the nation.

Boko Haram has since 2009 waged a campaign of violence in Nigeria in an effort to establish an Islamic state. It has killed some 13,000 people and kidnapped hundreds, with surrounding countries such as Niger, Chad and Cameroon affected. Endit