Chadian troops deployed in Nigeria have been withdrawn by their country’s government, Igbere TV has learnt.
About 1,200 troops from the neighbouring Chad were deployed to give combat support to Nigerian soldiers fighting Boko Haram in 2019.
The deployment was part of a regional agreement by countries around the Lake Chad to combat insurgency, which surpassed 10 years in mid-2019.
“It’s our troops who went to aid Nigerian soldiers months ago returning home. They have finished their mission,” a Chadian military spokesperson was quoted as saying.
“None of our soldiers remains in Nigeria.”
The withdrawn troops would be returned to their previous outposts around the Lake Chad to further strengthen security around the border areas, report says.
According to reports, Tahir Erda Tahiro, head of Chadian military, indicated that troops would be deployed if the countries agreed to a new joint measure for deployment.
Niger, Chad, Nigeria and Cameroon have been waging a collective battle against Boko Haram, which began in Nigeria in July 2019 and has continued to defy military response.
The group has continued to claim successful attacks, but its ability to attack military bases appeared to have waned in recent months.
The Nigerian Army, on the other hand, has continued to credit troops for successive victories against the insurgents in recent weeks.
The Nigerian Army is yet to officially react to the development. But report says residents have started fleeing the region following withdrawal of the troops.
