By Chuks Oyema-Aziken
Top security Chiefs from Nigeria and Chad have agreed to continue support for the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in a bid to crush insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin.
This is the outcome of a bilateral meeting of the Ministers of Defence of Nigeria and Chad on Thursday in Abuja.
On the Chadian delegation are the Chief of Staff to the Chadian President, Chadian Ambassador to Nigeria and the Chadian Director of Military Cooperation. From the Nigeria side were the Chief of Defence Staff, Chief of Defence Intelligence, Chief of Defence Training and Operations (Defence Headquarters), Force Commander Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and Theatre Commander Operation LAFIYA DOLE.
The meeting discussed issues of bilateral importance between both countries in the Lake Chad Basin.
How to sustain existing bilateral agreements on security between Nigeria and Chad particularly around the Lake Chad Basin was also discussed.
At the end, both countries agreed to continue with the conduct of combined operations under the auspices of the MNJTF.
The Chadian Minister of Defence, Mahamat Aba-Ali Salah, appreciated Nigeria for hosting the meeting.
He also apreciated Nigeria for the moral, logistics and technical support in the fight against insurgency in the Lake Chad Region and the MNJTF.
On his own part, Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Major General Bashir Magashi (rtd) disclosed that the recent successful offensive by the Chadian Armed Forces was conducted with the knowledge of Nigeria through the MNJTF.
The meeting agreed to continue with the conduct of the combined operations against the common enemy within the Lake Chad Basin.
Magashi pledged Nigeria’s continuous support for the operations in the Lake Chad Basin and reiterated Nigeria’s backing and acceptance of the MNJTF Concept of Operations.
He appealed to citizens of both countries to support the ongoing operations to ensure end of insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin and in both countries in general.
