Nuhu Ribadu, Nigeria’s National Security Adviser (NSA), has visited President Idriss Déby of Chad to bolster cooperation on escalating security challenges in the Lake Chad region.
The visit, which took place in N’Djamena, Chad’s capital, was part of a high-level mission aimed at enhancing regional security collaboration. Ribadu was accompanied by senior Nigerian officials, including Christopher Musa, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS); Emmanuel Undiandeye, Chief of Defence Intelligence (CDI); and Ali Salau, Force Commander of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).
According to Zagazola Makama, a publication focused on counter-insurgency in the region, Ribadu delivered a personal message from President Bola Tinubu to Déby during the meeting.
Discussions reportedly centred on reinforcing joint military operations to combat jihadist insurgencies in the Lake Chad basin. Ribadu described the meeting as “fruitful,” reaffirming Nigeria’s commitment to close collaboration with Chad to address shared security threats.
“The mixed force will soon have a new face, aimed at exterminating the common enemy,” Ribadu said, referring to the MNJTF, a coalition comprising troops from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger.
Ribadu also conveyed President Tinubu’s condolences to Déby over the recent terrorist attack on Chad’s Barkaram Island, where several Chadian soldiers were killed.
The CDS, Christopher Musa, highlighted plans to improve interoperability between the armed forces of both nations, emphasizing coordinated efforts to dismantle terrorist networks.
A Chadian government official noted that the talks underscored the interlinked destinies of Abuja and N’Djamena, emphasizing the importance of continued collaboration.
