Will crush ‘godless’ Boko Haram, pledges new Nigerian President

Abuja, May 29

Three decades after he first came to power in a military coup, Muhammadu Buhari was sworn in on Friday as elected President of Nigeria, giving him control of an African giant struggling with slowing economic growth and a raging Islamist insurgency.

In his inaugural address as elected leader of Africa’s most populous nation and biggest crude producer, Buhari vowed to eradicate the “mindless, godless” militant group Boko Haram and rescue hundreds of women and children held captive, including 200 girls taken from the town of Chibok a year ago.

“The armed forces will be fully charged with prosecuting the fight against Boko Haram. We cannot claim to have defeated Boko Haram without rescuing the Chibok girls and all other innocent persons held hostage,” the 72-year-old former military ruler announced in the heart of the capital. “This government will do all it can to rescue them alive,” he said.

Hundreds Boko Haram captives have been freed by the military in recent weeks, but the Chibok girls, whose capture caused a global outcry, have still not been found.

Dressed in traditional Muslim attire, the 72-year-old general stood on the stage clutching a Koran in his right hand as he pledged to “preserve, protect and defend” the constitution of Africa’s most populous nation.

Moments later, dozens of white doves were released into the air, a symbol of peace against the Boko Haram militants who have killed thousands in the last six years in their quest to carve out an Islamic caliphate in the northeast. Dozens of African countries were represented by heads of state, who stand to gain if Buhari is able to breathe new life into the economy and restore Abuja’s diplomatic credibility and clout.

The ceremony was attended by numerous African leaders and foreign dignitaries including US Secretary of State John Kerry.

South African President Jacob Zuma was a notable guest, a sign of Pretoria’s desire to improve relations with Abuja after a series of diplomatic spats under Jonathan, most recently over a wave of attacks on foreigners in South Africa this year.

The formal swearing-in marks a remarkable political turn-around for Buhari, who has gone from military dictator in the mid-1980s to a born-again democrat swept to power on the back of a landslide victory at the ballot box in March. — Reuters