Niger, Chad and Cameroon are ready to join Nigeria in creating a 2800-man military force to combat Boko Haram, which they accept poses a “growing regional threat” despite only being localised to Nigeria.
Reuters and BBC both reported that the countries agreed to present 700 soldiers each to the force, in another effort to mount a regional response to Nigeria’s terrorism challenge.
“This step is proof of our commitment to do everything possible to eradicate this curse,” Niger’s minister of defence, Karidio Mahamadou, was quoted as saying at the end of a meeting of the defence ministers of the four countries.
Date of take-off of the force was not given, as well as other details, chief among which is its location.
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The announcement comes less than a day after at least 82 people were killed in two blasts in different parts of north-western Nigerian state of Kaduna.
In the first — on Alkali Road, Murtala Square in GRA — at least 32 people were killed when a bomb targeted at Islamic Cleric, Sheik Dahiru Bauchi, was detonated.
In the second, targeted at former ruler, General Muhammadu Buhari, at least 50 people died.
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