Three African Countries Join Nigeria To Fight Boko Haram

Three African countries at the weekend revealed plans to support Nigeria in wiping out the notorious radical Islamist sect, Boko Haram.  

Man claiming to be leader of Nigerian Islamist extremist group Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, in video screengrab, unknown location, Sept. 25, 2013.

The African countries which recently decided to join forces with Nigeria and other foreign nations in fighting terrorism are Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome and Mali.


This was made known in Abuja by the countries respective ambassadors to Nigeria, Job Obiang Esono Mbengono and Antonio Correia, in separate meetings with the Senate President, Senator David Mark, while the latter was made known by Malian President, Ibrahima Boubacar Keita, during a meeting with President Goodluck Jonathan at the ECOWAS leaders’ security summit in Accra, Ghana  last Friday.

The envoys said their countries were worried about the happenings in Nigeria and were therefore prepared to participate in the fight against insurgency in the country.


Mbengono, said the Equitorial Guinea government lamented the incessant killings of innocent Nigerians as well as properties worth billions of naira that are being destroyed by the Islamist sect members. 

“We are ready to collaborate with Nigeria to defeat the terrorists. Nigeria is a very strategic and important country in Africa. We share a lot of things in common in the Gulf of Guinea. The continent cannot afford the continuous crisis and violence in Nigeria. Something must be done urgently to salvage the situation,” Mbengono said.
According to him, his country had learnt a lot from Nigeria, revealing that his country's legislature which used to be unicameral is now bicameral as it is the case in Nigeria. He said it was achieved through the 2011 referendum which endorsed the new arrangement.

Correia, in his remark said Sao Tome pledged her support in the fight against terrorism and urged Boko Haram to release the over 234 female students they kidnapped from Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State.  

Mark in his response, thanked the visiting envoys for their support to Nigeria at a time like this.
“We as a people are traumatised with the situation and we are doing everything humanly possible to rescue our girls” Mark said.

The senate president noted that the country remain resolute despite the security challenges, and promised that every measure to sustain peace and stability would be put in place in order for her citizens to feel safe, secure and protected.

Jama'atu Ahlis Sunna Lidda'awati Wal-Jihad popularly known as Boko Haram in Hausa which means "Western education is sin”. The terrorist group which has its strong hold in the northeastern part of the country, Cameroon and Niger, has carried out several attacks and bombings which have claimed thousands of innocent souls in their quest to Islamise the country and put an end to what they described as westernisation.

The sect, who is also responsible for the abduction of over 234 school girls from GGSS, Chibok, Borno State is suspected to be responsible for Friday’s killing of the Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji Idrissa Timta, in Borno State. The sect also killed at least 60 people on Sunday, at a bar screening a televised football match located near a major military base in Mubi, Adamawa State.

The sect’s menace has however, attracted the attention of international communities like France, Britain, U.S, China, Israel among others, whom have all volunteered to help the Nigerian Government in flushing them out as well as rescuing the kidnapped school girls.