Ribadu leads delegation to Chad for ‘high-level security talks’

Nuhu Ribadu, national security adviser (NSA), has paid a visit to Idriss Déby, Chad’s president.

The NSA said the trip is aimed at strengthening collaboration and addressing escalating security challenges in the Lake Chad basin.

Zagazola Makama, a publication focused on counter-insurgency in the region, reported that Ribadu led a high-ranking delegation to N’Djamena, Chad’s capital, on Sunday.

The delegation included Christopher Musa, chief of defence staff (CDS); Emmanuel Undiandeye, chief of defence intelligence (CDI); and Ali Salau, force commander of the multinational joint task force (MNJTF). 

Makama stated that Ribadu presented a written message from President Bola Tinubu to Déby.

The report added that discussions centred on enhancing security cooperation, with both nations agreeing to strengthen joint operations against jihadist groups in the Lake Chad basin.

Makama quoted Ribadu as describing the engagement as “fruitful” while reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to working closely with Chad to combat shared security challenges.

“The mixed force will soon have a new face, aimed at exterminating the common enemy,” Ribadu said, referencing the MNJTF, which comprises troops from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger.

Makama said Ribadu also conveyed Tinubu’s condolences to Déby over a recent terrorist attack on Chad’s Barkaram Island, where several Chadian soldiers lost their lives.

The CDS discussed plans to improve interoperability between the militaries of both countries through coordinated efforts to dismantle terrorist networks.

A Chadian official quoted in the report said the discussions “confirm that the destinies of Abuja and N’Djamena are intertwined”.