President Muhammadu Buhari yesterday in N’djamena, the capital of Chad, implored member-countries of the Lake Chad Commission to intensify their efforts in the ongoing operations of Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) against the Boko Haram sect.

This is even as the two countries, Nigeria and Chad, have reaffirmed their commitment to greater cooperation in the fight against Insurgency.

President Buhari who made the call at during the bilateral talks between Nigeria and Chad also held a closed-door meeting with Major-General Tukur Buratai of Nigeria, who was appointed Force Commander of the reorganised MNJTF, with headquarters in N’Djamena.

He noted that the security of Nigeria and her neighbours was intrinsically linked, making it essential that they cooperate on security issues in a robust and sustained manner.

According to him, when it becomes fully deployed and functional, the MNJTF, made up of troops from Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroon, will be able to secure and stabilize all the areas affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.

Buhari who is on his first visit to Chad after assuming office as president expressed worry that the insurgency had taken a huge toll on citizens of both countries, many of whom have been forced to flee their homes.

He said he was convinced that with greater cooperation between Nigeria and neighbouring countries, the Boko Haram insurgency will be brought to an end very soon.

The president thanked Chad for her invaluable support in the fight against insurgency and terrorism.

“Your troops have stood shoulder to shoulder and fought gallantly with ours in the fight against the forces of evil. This is a remarkable show of good neighbourliness, which we must reinforce in the years ahead,’’ Buhari told President Idriss Deby.

In his remarks, President Deby commended Buhari for his “wise decision’’ to relocate the Nigerian military command centre from Abuja to Maiduguri.

The Chadian President said that the decision, which was announced in President Buhari’s inaugural address, was a right step towards restoring peace and security to states affected by terrorism, and the sub-region.

He assured President Buhari that Chad will continue to work with Nigeria to achieve lasting peace and security in the sub-region, given their historic, cultural and economic ties.

A communiqué issued at the end of Buhari’s one-day official visit to Chad noted that both leaders agreed on the need to quickly make the MNJTF fully operational to effectively combat terrorism in North-East Nigeria and “everywhere” that Boko Haram operates.

Buhari and Deby called on the international community to provide the Lake Chad Basin Commission and neigbouring countries with all necessary support to combat terrorism and insurgency.

President Buhari also paid tribute to the gallantry of Chadian soldiers who have engaged in operations against Boko Haram and condoled with the families of their comrades who were killed in action.