President Muhammadu Buhari has dispatched the Minister of Defence, Brigadier General Mansur Dan Ali (retd), to the Republic of Chad for an urgent meeting with President Idris Deby and his defence counterpart on the deterioration of security situation on the Nigeria-Chad border that has led to the recently increased Boko Haram terrorism in the area, The Eagle Online can report.
No fewer than 140 soldiers were reported killed in the last one week by Boko Haram Terrorists in Borno State.
Diplomatic sources that sought anonymity said: “Nigeria has a Chad problem in the Multi-National Joint Task Force put together to secure the Lake Chad basin areas and repel the Boko Haram terrorism attacks against all the countries neighbouring the Lake.”
The sources revealed that Chad is believed to be having its own internal security challenges and this has reportedly led to its pulling away the country’s troops manning their own border around Lake Chad.
The source added: “That lacuna is being exploited by the Boko Haram terrorists, who go in and out of Nigeria, Niger and Cameroon to launch terrorist acts. This is a clear illustration of the fact that terrorism is beyond national borders.”
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, said he is aware that the Defence Minister is going to Chad.
Shehu, however, said he is unaware of the Minister’s mission there.
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