YAOUNDE, Nov 18 (NNN-XINHUA) — Chadian President Mahamat Idriss Deby Itno and Nigeria’s National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu met here to discuss enhancing regional security and combating terrorism, according to Chad’s presidency.
The meeting took place two weeks after Mahamat Deby threatened to withdraw Chad from the Multinational Joint Task Force, which comprises troops from countries bordering Lake Chad to combat the militant group Boko Haram.
He criticized the force for its failure to tackle Boko Haram militants, which claimed the lives of over 40 Chadian soldiers in the Lake Province in a recent clash.
During the discussions, they reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration to promote peace and stability in the Lake Chad Basin region.
“In the days to come, the mixed force will have a new face with the aim of exterminating the common enemy,” Ribadu said after meeting the president.
Ribadu delivered a written message from Nigerian President Bola Tinubu, expressing “unwavering” support for Mahamat Deby and the people of Chad in the wake of the recent terrorist attack on Barkaram Island, according to Chad’s presidency.
Meanwhile, scores of bandits have been killed in airstrikes in the Nigerian northwestern state of Zamfara, an official said in Abuja, Nigeria’s capital.
The airstrikes took place on Friday in the village of Babban Kauye in the Tsafe local government area of Zamfara, where the suspected bandits were located, said Olusole Akinboyewa, the spokesman for the Nigerian Air Force.
The airstrikes by the military were aimed at eliminating bandit threats in the northwestern part of Nigeria, the spokesman said.
Intelligence sources revealed that the criminals have planned to attack military personnel or civilians, he said.
The operation dealt “a severe blow to their operational capacity of the bandits,” he added. — NNN-XINHUA
