Corruption responsible for inability of Nigeria to quickly defeat Boko Haram: president

Corruption was largely responsible for the inability of the Nigerian military to quickly defeat Boko Haram, President Muhammadu Buhari said Wednesday.

The loss of 14 local government areas to Boko Haram had greatly tarnished the reputation of the Nigerian Armed Forces, Buhari said during an audience with the Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, Ahmed El-Tayeb in Abuja, the country's capital.

He said the Nigerian military had now almost totally incapacitated Boko Haram as a fighting force with measures taken by his administration to curb corruption and provide better weaponry, logistics, training and welfare for soldiers on the front-lines.

He added that the military had successfully recovered all territories that were lost to the terrorist sect.

While welcoming the support of Muslims across the world for Nigeria's war against insurgency, the Nigerian leader said the war against terrorism was also a war against injustice, and must be supported by Islam and all the major religions.

The president reaffirmed his administration's determination to resettle all persons who were displaced by the Boko Haram insurgency.

He thanked the Grand Imam for the donation of educational and medical supplies as well as provision of scholarship to Nigeria's Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). Endit