Boko Haram's pledge of allegiance to the Islamic State group was a sign of weakness and a result of pressure on the jihadist militants by Nigeria and its allies, the government in Abuja said today.
National security spokesman Mike Omeri called the pledge "an act of desperation and comes at a time when Boko Haram is suffering heavy losses".
The Islamists' leader Abubakar Shekau made the announcement in an audio message on Saturday night after months of indications that Boko Haram was seeking a formal tie-up.
The operation is designed to secure and stabilise the region in time for Nigerian general elections, which were postponed by six weeks from February 14 to March 28.
"Boko Haram is on the way to being eliminated," he added.
"No foreign extremists can or will change this fact -- as long as the Nigerian military continues to receive cooperation and commitment from its citizens and allies."
Security analysts have said the pledge of allegiance to IS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi may only have propaganda value in the short term but in the future could lead to closer links.
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