• Harps on more financial resources
•675 terrorists killed, 566 arrested, 32 camps destroyed
•Warns against infiltration of fleeing terrorists in communities
ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – The Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) has said that while tremendous success has been made in defeating the Boko Haram terrorists, the regional military body was still short of lift capability, Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)/Mine Detection capability, and other logistic requirements.
MNJT, which is made up of the troops from the member-countries of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LBC), also harped on the need for more financial resources to sustain security around the strategic region.
The Commander of MNJTF, Maj-Gen. Lamidi Adeosun, made this call Thursday in Abuja at the opening of the Second Regional Security Summit with the Theme: ‘Consolidating Collective efforts for Regional Peace and Development’.
Adeosun said that the Force has planned its future operation to replicate the successes achieved at the Nigerian-Camerounian border, Nigeria-Niger-Chadian borders but requested for support to overcome some of the stated challenges.
He listed the challenges facing the group to include: “inadequate Lift Capability, Limitation on IEDs/Mine Capability, Inadequate Amphibious Equipment and Lack of Flat Bottom Boat, Lack of Air Capability, Difficulty in Sustaining Troops”.
He recommended that “the MNJTF lift capability should be enhanced by the troop contributing countries; mine/IEDs detection and destruction equipment and capability should be enhanced across the sectors; adequate troops’ sustenance in terms of operational allowances, ration and fast-moving medical supplies should be ensured; flat bottom boats with outboard engines should be provided form MNJTF effective operations within the Lake Chad Islands.
“International organisations and other relevant partners should be encouraged to redeem their pledges for assistance in the provision of support to MNJTF and in support of humanitarian activities in the liberated areas within MNJTF Area of Responsibility; and the Heads of States should approve the upgrade of Sub Sector 3 to Sector 4 with a strength of 2000 troops as proposed”.
Adeosun said that MNJTF in its present state and with the provision of adequate support would effectively deliver its mandate.
He added that the body has high potentials not only to remain a permanent solution to insecurity within the Lake Chad Basin; “it will eventually remain as a positive symbol of unity and understanding thereby breaking the barriers of artificial boundaries without compromising the territorial integrity of member states”.
The commander, however, noted that the MNJTF and national operations has largely curbed the activities and threats of Boko Haram terrorists in the area by degrading their capability to carry out organised and coordinated offensive.
He listed other areas of achievement for the multinational force to include: building confidence on the populace; continuous handling of IDPs and refugees by the various sectors and sub-sector within the MNJTF areas of operation; liberation of at least 4,690 hostages from January 2016 to date; excellent cooperation between the sectors/sub-sectors and national troops of the LCBC countries; and naturalisation of 675 terrorists and arrest of a total of 566 others with their logistics from January 2016 to date across all the sectors.
Adeosun listed other achievements for the last four months to include destruction of 32 terrorists camps and IEDs making factories as well as capturing/destruction of the terrorist equipment, which include 318 motorcycles, 84 vehicles, 137 assorted weapons, 18 boats and other logistics.
In the same vein, the Executive Secretary, LCBC, Mrm Sanusi Abdullahi, agreed that the terrorist group has been substantially degraded and denied to hold unto any specific territory in Nigeria, except, Sambisa forest.
Abdullahi also noted that “elsewhere in the Sub-region, the remnants of the terrorists remain perpetually on the run”.
He also listed the gains of the past one year, in the region’s collective efforts to defeat terrorism, as the establishment and operationalisation of the Regional Intelligent Fusion Unit (RIFU), in Abuja and collaboration with the coordination and liaison cell (CLC) in Chad, where Intelligence resources are polled together across the region and sharef to aid operations; the strengthening of Security across the borders of member-States of LCBC; and the articulation/elaboration of the Lake Chad Development and Climate Resilience Action Plan amongst others.
He however, urged that despite the huge feat by the military and security agencies, there is need for more sustained efforts and concerted actions to ensure that they do not only win the war but the peace as well.
“We should also get the civilian component of our society to key-into this last stage of the war as the terrorists, denied of their ‘safe havens’, may now live in our midst. This is the only way that the ongoing war can be safely put behind us and peace restored across our sub-region,” he advised.