Jonathan happy with Niger, Chad over terror war

President Goodluck Jonathan on Friday applauded the renewed support from Nigeria’s neighbours in the war against terrorism.

The president, who spoke at the presidential villa with Mr Emmanuel Ngondet, a special envoy of President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon, applauded the renewed and heightened commitment of Niger, Chad, Benin Republic and Cameroon to joining forces with Nigeria to rid the West African sub-region of the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism.

Reiterating his position that terrorist attacks on one country must be seen as an affront to all civilised nations, Jonathan called for a stronger and more effective regional, continental and global alliance against terrorism and its perpetrators.

“Boko Haram and similar terrorist groups kill people indiscriminately, hiding under religious beliefs that are not found in any of the holy books,” NAN quoted him as saying.

“They do not represent any civilised and rational people. Civilised and rational people of the world who are in the clear majority must therefore join forces to confront and defeat them.”

While thanking the president of Gabon for his pledge to support Nigeria in the fight against insurgency, Jonathan assured Gabon of Nigeria’s total commitment to prosecuting the war against terrorism to a successful conclusion.

Ngondet, who is Gabon’s minister of foreign affairs, also agreed with the decision to form a multinational force against terrorism.

He said that like Nigeria, Gabon believes that Boko Haram’s activities have no basis in religion. He assured Jonathan of the support of his country and others in the Central African sub-region in fighting terrorism.