Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State on Thursday received a delegation of the Cameroonian Military, harping on the need for a joint effort to defeat insurgency.
The event took place at the Government House in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital with Governor Zulum saying the central African country and Nigeria can share experiences and collaborate to defeat insurgency in the Lake Chad region.
“Cameroon and Nigeria, most of our people shares the same tradition and culture. Though the insecurity has affected all the countries in the Lake Chad region, all our economies have been affected. Therefore, there is a need for us to come together and fight this insurgency,” the governor noted.
“The issue of trans-border trade is very important, all of us know Banki. We are doing everything possible to reopen Banki market, we are planning to reopen Bama-Banki road. Let us support the security architectures so that we can ensure the free movement of our people.”
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During the event, the Cameroonian Military delegates were led by the 4th region joint military commander, General Saly Mohammadou and accompanied by Commander Sector 1 Multinational Joint Task Force, General Bouba Dobekreo; Commander Fourth Gendarmerie, Brigadier General Essoh Jules-Cesar; GOC 7 Div Bridgdier, Gen. AK Ibrahim and others.
Borno State and the northeast, in general, have been the target of attacks by insurgents in recent years, the latest being the killing of scores of farmers in Zambarmari near Maiduguri.
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The development elicited condemnation and outcry from across the world with calls mounting for the sack of Nigeria’s service chiefs.
A few days after the incident, the Northern Elders’ Forum (NEF) said it has lost confidence in the leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari. The group called on him to resign if he can not halt the spate of killings in the country, especially in the northern part.
“Under this administration, life has lost its value, and more and more citizens are coming under the influence of criminals,” it said in a statement. “We do not see any evidence of a willingness on the part of President Buhari to honour his oath to provide security over Nigerians.”
