Hot on the heels of Thursday’s loss of Michika in Adamawa State, Boko Haram terrorists have been overwhelmed by the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and flushed out of four more towns, reports from Nigeria’s troubled North-East said. The MNJTF comprises troops from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon and Niger.

A report this morning in LEADERSHIP Weekend said that MNJTF troops turned on the heat yesterday, clearing the insurgents from Gamboru-Ngala, Malamfatori, Kirawa and Ashigashiya – all in Borno State.

The feat is yet to be officially confirmed. The Nigerian military had last week announced that a special operation would commence this week aimed at comprehensively defeating Boko Haram before the country’s presidential election holding on February 14.

Meanwhile, a blueprint has been ratified by the African Union (AU) towards a regional task force of 7,500 army personnel to battle Boko Haram.

The leaders agreed to this after its meeting at the African Union Peace and Security Council (PSC) session to bring to an end the crisis caused by the militants in the north-eastern part of Nigeria.

Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger, Chad and Benin requested the AU to seek the UN Security Council mandate to assist in fighting the Islamist militants who it is claimed are fighting to establish an Islamic state in northern Nigeria.

According to NAN, each of the five nations is expected to contribute a battalion with each contingent to be based within its national borders and operations to be synchronised from Chad.

AU’s commissioner for Peace and Security Council, Smail Chergui, told members of the media after the African Summit held at Addis Ababa, “we are thinking of a force of 7,500 women and men which will be submitted to the UN Security Council for approval.”

The commissioner added that he hoped that the concept of the force would be better organised in order to achieve the goal to stop the killings and savage acts of the insurgents.

He further added that AU would meet in Cameroon early February to design a notion of operations and strategy, rules of engagement, command and control, and other associated matters.

•Photo shows MNJTF troops heading for an operation.

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