By Kingsley Obiejesi
Despite Saturday’s twin suicide bomb blasts that killed nine people in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, a senior officer in the Cameroonian army has commended the Nigerian army for the success recorded against Boko Haram.
Bouba Dobekreo, a Brigadier General and Commander Sector 1 of the Multi-National Joint Task Force, MNJTF, gave the commendation in Maiduguri when he led a team on courtesy call to the General Officer Commanding 1 Division Nigerian Army, Victor Ezugwu, also a Brigadier General.
Suspected suicide bombers had detonated their explosives within 30 minutes of each other, first close to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, depot and the Bakassi camp, where 16,000 displaced persons are sheltered. Despite this setback, Dobekreo praised the Nigerian Army for degrading the Boko Haram insurgency that caused so much concern and spread to the West African countries of Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
“General Bouba described the challenges posed by the terrorists as a test for West African countries to handle security threats in the region by themselves (and) called on West African countries to always be security conscious along the borders of the Chad Basin,” a statement issued by spokesperson for 1 Division, Mustapha Anka, a Colonel, read.
Responding, Ezugwu, thanked the visiting delegation and also commended the role played by Member of the MNJTF in the counterinsurgency.
According to him, the cooperation between member countries, particularly in the area of capacity building, has contributed to the success against insurgency in the region.
“He described the visit as timely and that it will afford the Commanders the opportunity to sit and re-strategize for the final onslaught against the terrorists,” the statement added.
The Cameroonian Army chief was accompanied on the visit by Commander 4th Military Region of the Cameroon Defence Force, Kodji Jacob, a Brigadier General, Operation Officer MNJTF, ML Ashetkuemun, a Lieutenant Colonel, and some officers of sector 1 MNJTF.