The President, Muhammau Buhari has described those who shout “Allah is great” before killing innocent people as mentally deranged.
The president made this remark through the Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo, at the launch of the revised National Counter Terrorism Strategy, NACTEST, in Abuja.
Buhari noted that “it is either they do not know the meaning of those words or they are simply deranged.”
He further added: “these enemies (Boko Haram) are essentially an insane nuisance because they revel in cowardly attacks.”
Buhari in his speech disclosed that his administration is set on employing unconventional tactics in tackling the war against insurgents in the country.
“There must be an understanding that the war against terrorism is the most unconventional one. They (terrorists) do not respect any rules of engagement; kill the defenseless including prisoners, use children and humans, girls and consider the killing of anyone at all at a victory.
“Therefore as we think through our strategy we must remember that to permanently win the physical battle, we must win the battle of the minds of even the most impressionable young men who sign up to join Boko Haram and other violent extremist groups.
“We must understand that terrorism is essentially a psychological warfare and as such is psychologically sophisticated and we must educate the youth through the leadership of our faith that neither Islam nor any other religion that we know endorses the slaughter of anyone.
“In the past few years our nation faced the threat of terrorism characterized by mindless killing of our people including children.”