Governor: Nigeria losing war on terrorists

The death toll from the latest attack by Islamic extremists rose to 106 and counting today as the governor of the northeastern state where Nigeria's terrorist movement was born warned the president that the military is losing its war against the militants.
"Given the present state of affairs, it is absolutely impossible for us to defeat Boko Haram," said Gov Kashim Shettima of Borno state.
He met with President Goodluck Jonathan in Abuja, the capital, yesterday.
"I made it emphatically clear to Mr President that the Boko Haram are better armed and better motivated ... They have a very smooth sail overrunning communities, killing people," Shettima told reporters afterward.

He said he did not blame the military but "our failure in leadership." Shettima said he had asked the president to deploy more troops and resources.
Shettima called for leaders to "stop playing the ostrich," reflecting a general perception in the southern, mainly Christian part of Nigeria that the conflict in the faraway northeast is not their concern.

The Defense Ministry countered Shettima's assertion and said that security forces have captured some suspects responsible for attacks that have killed scores of civilians this month.
Ministry spokesman Maj Gen Chris Olukolade said a campaign of ramped up air bombardments and ground patrols have militants of the Boko Haram terrorist network in the northeast on the run, "escaping from the onslaught against their makeshift hideouts" along the borders with Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

Nigeria's 4-year-old Islamic uprising already has spread to neighboring states. The head of Niger's army, Gen. Seini Garba, said Monday that an untold number of Nigerian militants had been killed in the border town of Diffa as security forces foiled a planned attack on Niger. The extremists also are believed to have a presence in Cameroon and Chad.
The US yesterday promised to work with the federal and state governments to improve security. US Assistant Secretary for African Affairs, Linda Thomas Greenfield, also promised support for economic and social programs to combat under-development that is encouraging extremism in the northern and mainly Muslim part of Nigeria.