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 urging accelerated deployment of troops to islands across the Lake Chad Basin.
Governor Buni made the pledge during a security briefing at MNJTF Headquarters on the sidelines of the Lake Chad Basin Governors’ Forum in N’Djamena, Chad.
While the MNJTF had contributed to the visible improvement of security across the basin, further gains are needed to enable development and commercial activities to thrive, the Governor said, in a statement by the Acting Chief Military Public Information Officer, Lt. Col. Iweha Onyenonachi.
He specifically called for troops to be deployed to islands in Nigerian and other national territories around the Lake Chad Basin, urging the MNJTF to speed up efforts to establish a stronger security presence in the area.
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Governor Buni also revealed that talks are ongoing with Niger political authorities on the country’s possible return to the MNJTF.
He warned that the vacuum created by 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, on behalf of the troop-contributing countries, for financing Operation LAKE SANITY III, a move which he said demonstrated the Nigerian Government’s commitment to improving security and creating the conditions for more socio-economic activity in the basin.
He said he would brief the President on areas that require further intervention upon his return to Nigeria.
Governor Buni also promised to rally political support for continued operations of the MNJTF and efforts to tackle Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) activities across the Lake Chad Basin.