Chadian President, Idris Derby has denied knowing whereabouts of Abubakar Shekau, leader of Islamic insurgents, Boko Haram, saying he would not disclose it even if he knew.
- President of Chad, Idris Derby
President Derby had claimed some months ago that he knew where the Boko Haram leader was hiding and had warned him to surrender or risked being killed by Chadian forces.
The Chadian leader met with President Goodluck Jonathan at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital, on Monday . Derby while answering questions through an interpreter after the meeting held closed-door meeting said even if he knew where the terrorist was, he would not say where he is.
“I cannot tell you today that I know where Shekau is hiding and even if I knew I won’t tell you,” he said.
Deby attributed the apparent failure to completely wipe out the terrorists, especially from the Sambisa forest to lack of coordination between Nigeria and his country’s troops.
“It is regrettable that the two armies, that is the Nigerian Army and the Chadian Army were working separately on the field, they were not undertaking joint operations. If they were operating joint operations, probably they would have achieved more results,” he stated.
He said he was in the Presidential Villa to consult with President Jonathan on the fight against terrorism and to congratulate him for setting a good record for Africa by conceding defeat in the just concluded election.
“I came to consult with my brother President Goodluck Jonathan. As you all know Nigeria and Chad are two countries that have a lot of similarities in fighting insurgents.
“Chad has had its own problems in the 70s and 80s and Nigeria assisted Chad during those difficult times. On the 2015 general elections, I came principally to congratulate Mr. President for the statesmanship he demonstrated during the elections. We all know that elections in Africa is always contested but Mr. President demonstrated a lot of statesmanship, that he is a real democrat by conceding defeat and congratulating the President-elect.
“You all know that when Nigeria sneezes, the neighbouring countries catch cold. If Mr. President had not taken that laudable initiative, you all know what would have happened now. Nigeria is still living in peace, you all are living in peace and that would not have happened but for that laudable initiative he took.
“So I came to congratulate him for leaving a legacy not only for Nigeria but for Africa as a whole” he said.
On the fight against Boko Haram, President Derby said: “as you all know we both work together to fight Boko Haram. I thought it was important that before Mr. President leaves office, I will come for us to have overview of what we did together, what we achieved together in the fight against Boko Haram.
“It is true Boko Haram has not been completely eradicated but they have been tremendously weakened. I did not want to wait and come during the inauguration of the new government, I thought I should come to consult with Mr. President, to congratulate him and to have this exchange and overview of what we have been able to achieve in the fight against Boko Haram,” he said.
Asked about the relationship between the multinational task force fighting in Lake Chad and the South African mercenaries with them, he said, “I have no information concerning mercenaries from South Africa,”he said.
The Chadian President said that the four countries around the Lake Chad Basin that are currently securing the area have formed a multinational mixed force that will metamorphose to a Rapid Response Force that the African continent.
He said, “Still on the issue of Boko Haram, in the Lake Chad Basin there are four countries Cameroon, Nigeria, Chad and Niger that are currently securing the area. The four countries have managed to form a multinational mixed force that will metaphase into what is probably known as a Rapid Response Force that the African Union is trying to form for Africa.”
”Chad and Nigeria are facing the same challenges and how to meet the expectations of the people. Both countries are members of the Lake Chad Basin Commission and the two countries, together with other members are considering how to bring about peace, stability and security in the sub region with the core issue of Boko Haram which is being handled by the two countries.
Meanwhile, the State House accreditation of Mallam Ubale Musa, a Deutsche Welle ( DW) Radio correspondent, was withdrawn allegedly by security aides to President Goodluck Jonathan for asking questions considered embarassing to the president.
Musa had asked Deby to explain the relationship between the multinational task force fighting in the forest and the South African mercenaries fighting with them, to which the visiting leader claimed ignorance.
But the question reportedly angered President Jonathan , who asked of the identity of the reporter. When he was told, he further asked if he came with the visiting delegation, he was informed that the reporter in question was one of the State House correspondents, then the President went back to his office angry.
According to reports, Musa was invited into the President’s office, where he encountered the Chief Security Officer ( CSO), who reportedly withdrew his tag. He was later driven out in a Hi Lux van with registration number SH 639 and driven out via the gate used only by very important personalities (VIPs) popularly referred to as Service Gate.
Later Musa came back to the briefing room near the Aso Council to pick his lap top and other working tools, where he confirmed the withdrawal of his accreditation. He said the CSO appears not to be comfortable with the question he asked the visiting Chadian leader.
