Old social media posts by the late former president Muhammadu Buhari have revealed how Boko Haram terrorists became a deadly force in the north.

According to the posts from 2019, Buhari stated that Boko Haram became a deadly force because Muslim societies were indifferent to the activities of extremist preachers who manipulate innocent and gullible followers.

He lamented that extremism is like a cancer which must be detected and destroyed in its early stages of growth.

Buhari tweeted, "Muslims should strive to be the mirror through which others see the good virtues of our faith. Islam is a religion of peace, and we should reject violent extremist ideas that give Islam a wrong name, because our conduct leaves more lasting positive impressions than our words.

"The only way we can neutralise the evil that is violent extremism is to distance ourselves from the activities and teachings of those who preach violence against innocent people — which flies in the face of the teachings of Islam.

"Boko Haram became a deadly force and a major security scourge because Muslim societies were indifferent from the beginning to the activities of extremist preachers who manipulate innocent and gullible followers.

"Extremism is like a cancer, which must be detected and destroyed from its early stages of growth."

ASA