Military steps up talks with China about procuring fresh equipment to fight Boko Haram

NIGERIA has stepped up talks with China about procuring fresh military equipment as part of a programme to eliminate the remnants of Boko Haram operating across the northeast of the country.

 

Since President Muhammadu Buhari assumed power in May last year, the Nigerian military has enjoyed significant success in reigning back Boko Haram. There are now plans to finish off the process by procuring anti-landmine and improvised explosive devices detection equipment to enable the military defeat the insurgents.

 

Foreign minister Geoffery Onyeama, revealed that the government is discussing with China and other friendly countries for the supply of required arms and equipment needed to finish off the terrorists. He added that the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) for a number of platforms, weapons, and logistics required to sustain the ongoing operations in the North East and Lake Chad Basin area that has contiguous borders with Niger, Chad and Cameroun.

 

Mr Onyema said: “The MNJTF has made tremendous progress in the last one year. Like Mr President alluded there was at a time about 14 local government areas were under the Boko Haram control but today they are no longer in control.

 

"We are also working together with the frontline states in the areas of intelligence sharing. So in the military dimension we are going to look at the mechanism of cooperation and coordination. On the need for more weapons and others, we are engaging with various partners like China, which has asked us to indicate where we will need military assistance as well as other Western countries."

 

MNJTF commander Major General Lamidi Adeosun, disclosed that the regional military body made up of the troops from the member countries of the Lake Chad Basin Commission is in need of lift capability, improved explosives device /mine detection capability and other logistic requirements. He also noted that despite the tremendous success in defeating the Boko Haram terrorists in the past one year, there is a need for more financial resources to sustain security around the strategic region.