A senior Nigerian military official said Monday that a joint offensive by neighbouring Chad and Niger targeting Boko Haram militants in northeastern Nigeria is “consistent with the understanding that there should be no hiding place for terrorists.”
“We believe that whatever is going on out there is complementary and in concert with what we are doing here to flush out the terrorists,” Major General Chris Olukolade told VOA.[pro_ad_display_adzone id=”10″]
The troops from Chad and Niger launched their offensive early Sunday in Nigeria’s Borno State, where Boko Haram seized large areas despite the government declaring a state of emergency to fight the militants.
The new push began a day after Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau declared allegiance to the Islamic State, another group that follows a strict interpretation of the Quran.
Olukolade said that development will not affect the Nigerian military’s efforts to counter Boko Haram.
“That will have no direct meaning for us,” he said. “Our operation to force them out of Nigeria will continue.”
The military is trying to secure Boko Haram-controlled areas in order to allow the government to hold presidential and parliamentary elections, which were originally scheduled for last month but postponed until March 28.
The insurgents are blamed for thousands of deaths in Nigeria since launching their insurgency in 2009.
(VOA)
