Monday, June 08, 2015

Buhari Seeks Help On Boko Haram-ISIS Alliance


President Muhammadu Buhari has received the support of Francois Hollande, the French president, in his efforts to find out the extent of terrorism co-operations between Boko Haram and ISIS.

Hollande also commended Buhari for his efforts to galvanize Nigeria’s armed forces, security agencies and neighouring countries for more decisive action to eradicate the insurgent group.

Speaking at Elmau, Germany, during a meeting with his Nigerian counterpart after his participation in G-7 Outreach programme, Hollande said his country would give Nigeria and its coalition partners greater support, including military and intelligence cooperation to help overcome the security challenge posed by Boko Haram and its allies.

TheCable report continues:
He also called for greater bilateral cooperation between Nigeria and France in other areas, including trade, economic and cultural relations.

Responding, Buhari said Nigeria would welcome greater support and cooperation from France and other friendly nations.

He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to ending insurgency in the shortest possible time, saying his government was already taking concrete action to build a more efficient and effective coalition of Nigeria and neighbouring countries against Boko Haram.

According to Garba Shehu, senior special assistant to the president and media and publicity, Buhari said he would “appreciate more intelligence on Boko Haram’s links with ISIS, movements, training and sources of its arms and ammunition”.

Buhari said this would facilitate the perfection of fresh tactics and strategies being evolved overcome terrorism and insurgency in the country and its sub-region.

“There is clearly no religious basis for the actions of the group. Their atrocities show that members of the group either do not know God at all or they don’t believe in him,” Buhari said.

Buhari also received similar pledges of enhanced support from Stephen Harper, prime minister of Canada and Angela Merkel, chancellor of Germany, who he also conferred with before departing from the venue of the G-7 2015 Summit.
Buhari is expected back in Nigeria on Tuesday.

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