The Chairman of the Lake Chad Basin Commission Governors’ Forum and Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, has pledged maximum political support for the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), while calling for accelerated deployment of troops to islands across the Lake Chad Basin.
Governor Buni made the commitment after receiving a security briefing at MNJTF Headquarters on the sidelines of the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum in N’Djamena, Chad.
In a statement issued by the Acting Chief Military Public Information Officer, Lieutenant Colonel Iweha Onyenonachi, the Governor said the MNJTF had contributed to tangible improvements in security across the basin but argued that further gains were necessary to allow development and commercial activities to flourish.
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He specifically called for troops to be deployed on islands within Nigerian and other national territories around the Lake Chad Basin, urging the MNJTF to accelerate efforts to establish stronger security presence in the area.
Ongoing Discussion
Governor Buni also disclosed that discussions were ongoing with Nigerien political authorities over the country’s possible return to the MNJTF.
He warned that the absence of Nigerien forces had created a porous space that terrorists could exploit for movement, temporary refuge and cross-border criminal activity before launching attacks elsewhere.
The Governor commended President Bola Tinubu, for funding Operation LAKE SANITY III on behalf of the troop-contributing countries, describing the intervention as evidence of the Nigerian Government’s commitment to improving security and creating conditions for greater socio-economic activity across the basin.
He pledged to brief the President on areas requiring further intervention after returning to Nigeria.
Governor Buni further committed to mobilising political support for sustained MNJTF operations and efforts to counter Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) activities across the Lake Chad Basin.
