A few weeks ago, Ghanian president, John Mahatma spoke about the possibility of setting up a multi-national task force due to Boko Haram’s bid to expand into countries like Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
Evidently, this task force is in place shown by the defeat of some Boko Haram militants from Malumfatori town which lies on the borders of Chad and Niger making use of both ground and air forces in the assault.
Niger officials said Chadian ground forces moved into the town after crossing Lake Chad. It is not known if the operation was approved by Nigeria.
The Nigerian authorities say they are doing all they can to tackle the militants but neighbours, including Niger and Cameroon, have said more must be done.
Chad has already sent troops to Cameroon to help it counter Boko Haram incursions and last week Nigeria said the Chadian army would be fighting on its territory.
However, it was not immediately clear if the authorities in Abuja had prior knowledge of, or any role in, the operation in Malumfatori.
Is the interest of Chad and Niger only because of the nearness of this town to their borders or are they genuinely interested in the security affairs of Nigeria?