President Muhammadu Buhari has scheduled a visit to Chad and the Republic of Niger, starting on Wednesday, as part of the strategy to confront Boko Haram in more practical and devastating manner ever.
The announcement of the President’s visit to the two countries was made today by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu. He said that the President will be on the visit for Wednesday and Thursday.
Chad and Niger are the two principal countries whose troops have joined forces with the Nigerian soldiers to fight Boko Haram.
Chad leads a multinational force of troops, including soldiers from Cameroon, in an offensive that this year has driven Nigeria’s home-grown Islamic extremists from the towns and villages where it had established “an Islamic caliphate.”
Chad’s President Idriss Deby has complained of a lack of co-operation from Nigeria, which has strained relations with all its neighbours.
Nigeria’s military has said the offensive has cut Boko Haram’s supply lines across borders and that the militants’ main fighting force is hemmed into a northeastern forest. [myad]
