Yaoundé:Nigeria, Cameroon army chiefs fine-tune strategies

A delegation led by the Army Chief of Staff of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin has paid a 24 hour working visit to Cameroon

The General was accompanied by the Commander of the Multi National Joint Task Force, Major General Lamidi Oyebayo Adeosun and other top ranking military personnel of the federal army.

Shortly after touching down from the private jet at the Yaoundé Nsimalen International Airport, the Nigeria Delegation had a working session Defence Headquarters in Yaoundé with the Defence Chief of Staff of the Republic of Cameroon, Lieutenant General Rene Claude Meka.

Discussions centred on tactical and operational strategies to further strengthen military cooperation and synergise efforts to boost the fight against the terrorist group Boko Haram. Speaking to the press after the close door working session, General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin said his visit had two principal objectives, first the thank the government of Cameroon for the relentless efforts of Cameroonian troops fighting on both sides of the border to eradicate book haram from their strongholds. Secondly, the discuss modalities to enhance military cooperation.

The head of the Nigerian military delegation saluted the efforts of the Multinational Joint Task Force, supported by national troops from Cameroon and Nigeria in dealing with the Boko Haram menace. In relation to actions on the battle ground, he said battles need planning and the respective armies around planning a synergised action to bout out the terrorists from their hideouts.

After the working session, the Delegation was received at the Secretariat of State of the National Gendarmerie where General Abayomi Gabriel Olonisakin reviewed the troops before he was received in audience, by the Secretary of State in the Ministry of Defence in charge of the National Gendarmerie, Jean Baptiste Bokam on behalf of the Minister Delegate at the Presidency in charge of defence.

The global strategy to eradicate Boko haram was discussed during the close door audience. The Nigerian Delegation returned to Abuja, Nigeria shortly after the session.

The latest high level military encounter between top officers of Cameroon and Nigerian Armed forces comes less than a month after the Multinational Joint Task Forces evaluated its activities during the Special session of the Committee of Chiefs of Defence Staff of the Member Countries of the Lake Chad Basin Commission and Benin in Yaoundé on April 1st, 2016.