5 African Countries Send Battalions To Combat Boko Haram

          Nigeria, Chad, Benin, Cameroon and Niger will contribute one battalion of troops each to the international force established to fight Boko Haram and other rebel groups in the region.

          This is one of the decisions reached at the Regional Summit on Security held in Paris last Saturday, the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Reuben Abati, told journalists during a news briefing in Abuja on Tuesday.

        “Nigeria and other countries in the sub-region will continue to cooperate and coordinate efforts to combat the Boko Haram menace,” Abati said. United States, France and United Kingdom will extend technical assistance to the international force established to patrol the five countries’ border areas. This will add to the support offered by US, UK, France, Israel and China prior to the Paris regional summit.

          The Media Adviser added that Nigeria and its neighbouring states are commitеed to set up an effective border management regime that would fully prevent the proliferation of small arms, light weapons and other equipment made available to terrorists.

           Abati also said that President Goodluck Jonathan had tasked relevant government agencies to ensure enhanced implementation of relief assistance in the areas affected by Boko Haram insurgency. The assistance includes provision of food, medicaments, basic relief commodities, and conditional cash transfers for affected households. The president also directed the assessment of the extent of damage to public and private infrastructure.

           Besides, Jonathan assured that the Federal Government was taking every necessary measure to find and release the 234 female students who had been kidnapped by the Islamist Boko Haram more than a month ago. According to Abati, the FG would provide counselling services to the girls to enable their return to school.