‘Regional force HQs’ll need $30m to confront Boko Haram’

Sanusi Imran Abdullahi, head of the Lake Chad Basin Commission security grouping that includes Nigeria and nearby countries, on Wednesday said that the base of a Multi-national Joint Task Force (MNJTF) against the Boko Haram terrorist sect will cost about $30 million over the next year.

He said, “The total amount required to set up and sustain the MNJTF headquarters for the next 12 months is about $30 million (27 million euros),”

His comments came as military chiefs from Nigeria, Chad, Niger, Cameroon and Benin — which will contribute military personnel, police and civilians to the MNJTF — met in Abuja to thrash out plans to take on the militants.

“The troop-contributing countries are responsible for equipping and sustenance of their battalion”, he added.

The long-awaited task force, which has its headquarters in Chad’s capital N’Djamena under a senior Nigerian officer, was originally due to have been operational in November. In the meantime, troops from Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon have been fighting Boko Haram insurgents in northeast Nigeria for several months and have claimed a series of successes.

Since Buhari took office on May 29, 12 Boko Haram attacks have been recorded and a total of 109 people killed, according to AFP reporting.

Abdullahi said it was crucial to quickly deploy the force to “sustain the offensive on the Boko Haram terrorist group who should not be given the time and space to regroup.

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