Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Major-General Abayomi Olonisakin, has said that with the recent efforts of the Nigerien troops at ending the war against the Boko Haram terrorists, “Nigerien troops are now committed to MJTF obligations of fighting the insurgents to finish.”
The CDS, who stated this when he received the Nigerien Joint Chief of Defence Staff, General Seyni Garba, during a courtesy visit in Abuja, added that most of the MJTF troops had been deployed, especially from Niger, and that they were performing their role effectively.
Blueprint recalls that in February, Niger, one of the five Lake Chad Basin countries that make up Multi-national Joint Taskforce to fight the insurgency, pulled out its troops following an attack on the MJTF base in the North-east.
However, according to the Chief of Defence Staff, this courtesy visit would go a long way in deepening the bilateral relations between the two countries in ensuring that the fight against Boko Haram terrorists was brought to a logical conclusion.
He said: “On the activation of the MJTF it had recorded a success which needs to be improved upon. To achieve this, there is the need to strengthen synergy of our collaborative efforts. Such collaborative and coordinated efforts should be sustained among the members of the LCBC.”
“We already have Defence agreement, and I think the time is now for us to follow this agreement with action. My conviction is that if we are united we would become stronger and fight this common enemy to the finish.
“Boko Haram insurgents are no stronger enough to haul any town anymore. Even if they still have some capacity to carry out attacks, these attacks are majorly on the soft targets.”
