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The Director, Advocacy and Engagement of the Northern Elders Forum, Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, has said this is not the time to engage in blame game over Boko Haram attacks in the North-East. He said comments attributed to the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in which he said the attacks could not have happened without the knowledge of community leaders, were unhelpful at a time when the nation should be united against insurgency.

The President had while addressing Borno leaders during a condolence visit to the Palace of the Shehu of Borno, said Boko Haram could not have been attacking the state without the knowledge of community and other leaders of the state. Baba-Ahmed said, “These are not times for a blame game. Every level of society in most of the North-East, especially in Borno and Yobe states, has been victim of this insurgency. Perhaps, President Buhari was unaware that there are many places where citizens have been particularly vulnerable, and this place of attack has been a position of major concern for quite a while because the gate is closed in the night to everyone’s knowledge. These comments will alienate more influential people from the President at this time when we all need strong unity to fight this insurgency.”