Boko Haram Was Underestimated – Jonathan

President Goodluck Jonathan said he underestimated Boko Haram Islamists who have overrun parts of the country’s northeast. He also defended the election postponement in an interview published Sunday.

Jonathan, facing a tight re-election bid against ex-military ruler Muhammadu Buhari, has faced criticism over the vote delay, which critics argue was designed to give him time to shore up his campaign.

The military pushed for the six-week delay eventually granted by the electoral commission to allow it to secure the country for the vote, though Boko Haram’s insurgency has raged for six years.

“Probably at the beginning, we, and I mean myself and the team, we underrated the capacity of Boko Haram,” Jonathan said in an interview with ThisDay newspaper.

He said that the military has recently acquired more arms and ammunition to do battle with the Islamists, vowing that their suppression and the capture of the group’s leader were near. He also said: “God willing, we will catch (Abubakar) Shekau before the elections.”