The Nigerian Army on Friday signed an operational agreement with the Chadian Army to intensify efforts aimed at ending the activities of the terrorist group, Boko Haram in the north-eastern part of Nigeria.
The memorandum of understanding was signed at a meeting held in Abuja between Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff, Air Marshall Alex Badeh and his Chadian counterpart, Major-General Ibrahim Seid Mahamat, to straighten modalities for the counter terrorism operations along the Nigeria-Chad border.
Air Marshall Badeh said that the agreement would eradicate barriers that had worked against previous efforts to jointly fight the insurgents.
The Chadian army recently pulled out of the regional joint forces before the insurgents took over the military base in Baga, Borno State last month.
The meeting of the senior military officers from Nigeria and the Republic of Chad was convened to discuss how to jointly stop the activities of insurgents along the borders between the two countries.
According to Major General Seid, the meeting was convened to deepen cooperation among the two countries in the fight against the Boko Haram.
Briefing reporters before a secret meeting was held, Air Marshal Badeh told reporters that collaborations with neighbouring countries had yielded results.
The Memorandum of Understanding for operational modalities was signed after a closed door meeting.
The army chiefs, however, declined to disclose the content of the agreement, but said they arrived at solutions to the problems.
They also declined comments on the reasons for the Chadian army withdrawal of their troops from the Joint Military Operations last month.
The Chadian army pulled out their troops from the Joint Military Task Force before the Boko Haram sect took hold of their base in Baga last month.
But before the meeting, Chad had intensified efforts against the Islamists, killing scores within the week, a sign that the multinational efforts was back on track.
A spokesman for the Nigerian Army, Brigadier-General Olajide Laleye, had earlier told reporters in Abuja on Tuesday that operations in Baga involved a Multinational Joint Task-Force which had been in place in the eighties.
“Any operation within that general area can be conducted by troops from the three countries of the joint task force, which are Nigeria, Niger and Chad,” he stated.
Military personnel have been tackling the terrorist group, the Boko Haram, in the north-east and Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, one of the north-east states under the siege of the terrorist group, had said the military lacked needed motivation to prosecute the war against the dissident group.
The meeting was earlier scheduled for Thursday, but was called off due to the Council of State meeting.
It was later rescheduled for 8:00a.m local time on Friday.
It is hoped that the agreement had taken care of whatever may have led to the troop withdrawal. – Channels.
