The Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) was established in 1994 to put an end to trans-border armed banditry around the area of Lake Chad Basin and facilitate free movement along Nigeria’s northeast border.
The MNJTF comprises security operatives from Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, Benin and the Niger Republic. Since the advent of the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’way Wa’l-Jihād (JAS) – more commonly known as Boko Haram – insurgency and increasingly vicious attacks by fighters of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), a fearsome offshoot of JAS, in the Lake Chad region, the troops of MNJTF have continued to engage in massive counterinsurgency operations to ensure peace, stability, development and security in the region.
RNI conducted an exclusive interview with Major-General Abdul Khalifa Ibrahim, the MNJTF commander, to review the successes recorded last year by the regional security force in the fight against the insurgency.
WHAT ARE THE MNJTF SUCCESSES AND FEATS RECORDED IN 2022 IN THE FIGHT AGAINST THE INSURGENCY IN THE LAKE CHAD REGION?
First, let me introduce myself properly. I am Major-General Abdul Khalifa Ibrahim, the MNJTF commander. Of course, 2022 has come and gone. And for us in the MNJTF, 2022 was a successful year because we were able to carry out many operations, such as Operation Lake Sanity, which was successful because it led to the neutralisation of thousands of criminals, including Boko Haram insurgents and their colleagues, the ISWAP fighters.
Also, in many parts of the Lake Chad region, people returned to their ancestral homes and they resettled into their former communities. There is only one location where we still have some issues. But, for the rest, people are back home and those who live near the shores of the lake are fishing again, others are farming and still others are conducting business and commercial activities.
Schools have been reopened; there are hospitals for effective healthcare service delivery; and civil authority is gradually returning. I think we achieved a lot last year but we are still not where we want to be. So, this year we will continue our operations with the security forces of the various countries in the Lake Chad Basin, as well as conducting national security operations.
And, by the grace of Almighty Allah, this year we are hoping to have even more successes as we want more people to be able to return to their ancestral homes. All indications are that there is increasing peace and stability in the region.
WHAT ARE THE PLANS FOR EFFECTIVE OPERATION LAKE SANITY TWO IN THE NEW YEAR?
As a military formation, we don’t speak on radio – or other media outlets – to disclose our plans. But we are conducting operations all the time, even as I speak now there are ongoing operations. All I can tell you now is that we are definitely going to ensure that these operations continue, so that we will have more areas in the Lake Chad Basin that are free from insecurity.
Towards the end of the last year, I went to a community in Kirawa, which is a border town that is not far from the Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State in northeast Nigeria and it is not far from Moura town.
Before, there was no one in Kirawa town because the town was besieged by insurgents. But, through the activities and operations of the MNJTF, more than 6,000 people have returned to the town – and more people are coming back all the time. Our Nigerian and Cameroonian troops are present in and around Kirawa town to ensure the protection of the lives and property of the people.
So, when we talk about things like this, it shows that peace and stability has been and is continuing to be restored. We will continue to do our work and operations all the time, so that we can put an end to insecurity.
WHAT SECURITY MEASURES HAVE BEEN PUT IN PLACE TO ENSURE PEACE AND SECURITY AND TO SAFEGUARD THE LIVES AND PROPERTY OF THE PEOPLE SINCE THE GAMBORU-NGALA INTERNATIONAL MARKET WAS REOPENED?
Yes, one of the most important things was the reopening of the international market in Gamboru, which is a hub for cattle buyers and sellers, as well as other traders who come into Nigeria from Chad, Niger and Cameroon and then return to their countries. We are liaising very well with security agencies and operatives in Gamboru to ensure that the roads are safe for the buyers and traders to get to and from the market. Sometimes, if we believe there is a security threat, we escort them. But I can tell you categorically that people will leave Maiduguri in the morning and by afternoon they are in Gamboru town. Some go to Kusuri and sleep there before entering Cameroon or Chad.
We shall continue to partner with the civil authorities to ensure peace and stability because peace is a process – it is not a one-day event.
However, I’m using this medium to call on Boko Haram and ISWAP fighters to lay down their arms and surrender because already more than 80,000 Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents and their families have surrendered and nothing has happened to them. So, I say to those insurgents who are still in the bush: come out and lay down your arms and surrender so that you can be rehabilitated by the government.
How long should they stay in the bush with no food, no water, no medicines, no education, while the leaders of these insurgent groups are enjoying life with their families?
Therefore, I urge all insurgents to drop their weapons and surrender, otherwise it will only get worse for them this year because we will be conducting many operations to flush them out of the bush.
WHAT IS MNJTF’s RESPONSE TO THE CONFLICT BETWEEN JAS AND ISWAP FIGHTERS IN THE LAKE CHAD REGION?
Yes, it is true that there is fighting between Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents. They are evil people who are just out to cause confusion and to destroy this part of Africa. So, we are happy that they are fighting each other and we hope that they will continue to fight among themselves. For us, we are going to add a whole lot more to their problems. All we want is for them to surrender so that ordinary people can live in peace and stability the way they use to live before the insurgency.
The Lake Chad region is a very rich area, where you can prosper doing agricultural activities, animal husbandry, commercial activities and many other things.
These criminals deceive people, saying they are doing it because that’s what the Islam religion commands. But what they do is not for religion. Planting bombs all over the place and killing people is not religious. Good followers of Islam would never do that. They know Islam does not stand for that.
So, we urge them to surrender as thousands already have. If they do not do so, they must know that we are coming after them and they will get what they deserve. We will destroy them. We have received lots of military equipment from the African Union (AU) as well as from all the countries of the Lake Chad region. We will use our fighter jets to bomb the insurgents at every opportunity. We wish they would surrender so that we can all just get on with normal activities in peace and harmony and develop the region.
WHAT KIND OF PEACE MESSAGE WILL YOU PASS ON TO THE PEOPLE OF THE LAKE CHAD REGION?
Well, to the people of the Lake Chad region, I want to thank them and express our appreciation to them for their support. But we ask them to continue to keep their eyes and ears open so that if they see anything suspicious, they can report it to the security agencies, their local authorities or chiefs who will get let us know immediately.
All we want is peace and security in the region so that people can practise their religion peacefully without being deceived by people who use so-called religious doctrines as excuses to kill, rape and kidnap people and take them deep into the bush. This is not what our religion teaches us. It is not religion at all. So, we will continue to do our best and we hope that, by the grace of God, this year we will make significant gains. Our wish for the Lake Chad region is that there will be not one terrorist left. We want the region to be free again.
SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNO
