Nigerian soldiers afraid of recaptured Boko Haram towns?

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Chadian and Nigerien troops fighting Boko Haram
insurgency in the North-East are reportedly
begging their Nigerian counterparts to take over
towns recaptured from the sect.
Nigerian authorities had announced that troops
had recaptured all towns occupied by members of
the terrorist group in Adamawa and Yobe states,
remaining Borno, the last of the three north-
eastern states mostly affected by the insurgency.
A report by The New York Times on Friday,
entitled ‘Foreign troops beg Nigerian soldiers to
occupy recaptured towns,’ said foreign troops had
led journalists on a tour of the liberated towns
without Nigerian troops on the ground.
Chadian authorities were reported to be angered
by “the near-total absence of cooperation from
the Nigerians in a crucial regional battle.”
The report said Chadian soldiers were wondering
why they, and not the Nigerians, were holding
towns like Damasak, several days after the last
Boko Haram fighter has fled or been killed.
The Chadian Foreign Minister, Moussa Faki
Mahamat, was quoted as saying, “The Nigerian
Army has not succeeded in facing Boko Haram.
The occupation of these towns, this is up to
Nigeria. My fondest wish is that they assume
their responsibilities.
“Our biggest wish is that the Nigerian Army pulls
itself together — that it takes responsibility in the
towns. We are ready to disengage, right away.”
Second Lieutenant Hassan of the Chadian Army
was quoted to have berated the Nigerian troops
as failing in their responsibilities.
He said, “We asked them (Nigerian Army) to
come, to receive this town from us, but they have
not come. It is because they are afraid.
“We fought on the night of the 14th, and the last
attack was on the 15th. We called them on the
16th and told them to come; they didn’t believe
we were here.
“It is up to them (Nigeria) to hold the town, not
us,” said Lieutenant Hassan, referring to the
Nigerians. “Our role is offensive. Our mission is to
chase the terrorists.”
The Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen.
Chris Olukolade, however, told our correspondent
on the telephone on Saturday that it was not true
that Nigerian troops were not willing to take over
such territories.
He said there was no town liberated by the
Nigerian troops in the ongoing offensive against
the insurgents that was not effectively cleared of
terrorists’ presence and was not being well
patrolled.
He added that the collaborating nations had
warned against “irresponsible” comments
involving the operation, stressing that the military
would not join issues with anyone.
Olukolade said, “It is not true that our soldiers
are not willing to take over such communities.
There is no town that our soldiers have liberated
that is not being well secured and well patrolled
at the moment.
“We have always warned against irresponsible
comments in this collaboration and we are not
ready to join issues with anybody.
“We will do everything to sustain this
collaboration.”
Credit: nigeriancurrent.com

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