Nigeria and the Republic of Chad on Thursday agreed to sustain the tempo to the defeat suffered by Boko Haram where five bases of the terror group in both countries were destroyed.
The Minister of Defence, Maj.-Gen. Bashir Magashi (rtd) said this at the bilateral meeting of ministers of defence of the two countries in Abuja.
He said it was imperative to sustain the tempo of the current operation in order to retain the gain recorded by the multinational joint task by destroying Boko Haram’s base.
He said the creation of the multi-national joint task force by the two countries had unleashed deadly blow on the insurgency, adding that there was need to sustain the tempo.
“We need to seek ways to end Boko Haram and the meeting will come up with acceptable ways of ending the insurgence.
“We need new strategy to fast track the rooting out of Boko Haram if we want our region to be free of terrorists,” he said.
Boko Haram had in 2009 launched a bloody insurgency in Northeastern Nigeria but later spread its atrocities to neighboring Niger, Chad and Cameroon, which prompted a military response.
The minister said inspite of the successes recorded in the fight against Boko Haram, Nigeria was concerned about the heightening activities of the terrorists group as suggested by recent attack on military locations.
He also raised the alarm over the spate of kidnapping, banditry and others heinous activities in the country.
He added that the Nigerian armed forces had not relented in its efforts to fight all terrorists group operation in the sub region, while commending the success recorded in individual country through multinational joint task.
Magashi said that the current security challenges ravaging the entire world over COVID-19 with far reaching socioeconomic consequences and the current security development on the restriction of movement also necessitated the meeting.
“I must also add that the meeting holding at this auspicious time and the premium our governments placed on our nation, we respectively commend the two Presidents for their determination,” he said.
The Chadian minster of Defence, Mahamat Aba-Ali Soilah however promised its support for the fight, adding that the government of Chad would sustain the tempo (NAN)
