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Why Borno gov, others should not engage Chadian troops— Group
Umara Zulum
Centre for Africa Liberation and Socio-Economic Rights, CALSER, has warned Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State and some of his colleagues in the North East against engaging Chadian soldiers to help fight insurgency in the Nigeria, warning that it would be counterproductive.
Governor Zulum had last month visited N’Djamena, the capital of Chad where he allegedly met with multinational joint task force to discuss security-related issues in Borno after which he reportedly planning to employ the services of Chadian troops to help the state.
But CALSER President, Princess Ajibola, said at a media briefing on Monday in Abuja that Chad, like other Francophone countries haven’t demonstrated genuineness of purpose in the war against insurgency, and warned that inviting its soldiers would be counterproductive.
The group leader said “this is on the heels that it is also a known fact that the Boko Haram/ISWAP groups have found these countries as safe havens when they come under heavy bombardment from the Nigerian troops,” adding that the insurgents used regroup there and launch offensives against Nigeria.
“This is also cognizant of the fact that there is a French military base stationed in N’Djamena, the capital of Chad. Yet, the activities of Boko Haram thrive with the unhindered supplies of arms and ammunition and other logistics aiding their nefarious activities,” she alleged.
Ajibola, therefore, advised Zulum and other governors in the North, who might be having such plans to desist from undertaking actions and commitments that are capable of breaching national security in Nigeria.
Though she noted that the governor’s actions and inactions are geared towards the restoration of peace in Borno State and its environs, she cautioned him to stop engaging foreigners in the fight against insurgency in the country.
She said while the governor’s steps to restore peace is indeed commendable, she declared that “such actions must be in the best interest of the country and, in conjunction with the security agencies, as anything short of this would be unacceptable and rejected in its entirety.”
Ajibola maintained that posterity would not be kind to Zulum and other governors “them should they allow themselves to be used by agents of the destabilization of Nigeria in their inglorious objective of entrenching violence and bloodletting in Nigeria.”
“Their actions and inactions must be geared towards the interest of Nigeria and not otherwise in the prevailing circumstance that requires all hands to be on deck towards making Nigeria the country of our dreams,” she added.
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