Terrorism: Chad’s Reluctance to Man Border Worries Nigeria

•Secure surrounding islands
•Dependent on take-off of Army 8 Div.

Senator Iroegbu in Abuja

The Nigerian military authorities have said the planned establishment of a naval command post in the Lake Chad region was to check-mate the influx of Boko Haram terrorists from the contiguous boundary with Chad and Niger Republic.

THISDAY gathered that the Federal Government and military authorities are concerned about the threat posed by the reluctance of Chad to man its own border and prevent the terrorists from using their territory as a safe haven.

According to sources, the approval for the establishment of the Naval Post by President Muhammadu Buhari last month was a subtle warning to Chad about its failure to adhere to the agreement of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) countries under the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) push Boko Haram out of their common borders.

“There is a growing concern that with the way Chad is acting, we have to take our destiny in our own hands. And if Nigeria did not act now, all the efforts and successes we have made to clear the terrorists from the country maybe jeorpadised in the future if they have a safe haven in Chad.

“If you observe closely, you can notice that apart from some of their strong enclaves in Sambisa and Allargano forests, the next place we still have pockets of Boko Haram remnants is within the two Local Government Areas (LGAs) and some other Islands close to Chad and Niger,” a military source said.
This was also confirmed by the Director of Information (DINFO), Nigerian Navy, Commodore Christian Ezekobe, who said that the Naval Post, was to secure the territorial integrity of Nigerian around the region and protect the surrounding Islands.

Ezekobe however noted that the take off of the Post is dependent on when the newly created 8 Division of the Nigerian Army, comes into force.

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