Retired Army General, Gen. Ishola has revealed a striking episode from the fight against insurgency in the Lake Chad region, recalling how Boko Haram once told the late Chadian President, Idriss Déby, that their conflict was with Nigeria, not Chad.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television from 8:12, Gen. Ishola said the incident occurred when the late Déby personally led Chadian troops to confront Boko Haram militants who had been destabilizing the region.
“I remember when the late Idriss Déby led his army to go and fight Boko Haram, Boko Haram said, ‘no, we have no problem with you Chadians; it is Nigeria, it is Borno State we have a problem with,’” Ishola recounted.
According to him, the statement by the insurgents underscores the localized nature of the conflict and the extent to which Nigeria remains at the center of the crisis. He noted that while neighboring countries such as Chad, Niger, and Cameroon have occasionally joined the fight, the bulk of the burden still falls on Nigeria.
Gen. Ishola praised the courage of the late Déby, describing him as a true soldier who took decisive action when others hesitated. However, he lamented that Nigeria has continued to struggle with the same insurgency more than a decade later.
He argued that Boko Haram’s message to Déby showed that the group’s grievances and operations are rooted within Nigeria’s borders, particularly in the northeast.
“This should have been a wake-up call for us,” Ishola said. “It means the problem is internal and must be solved internally through better leadership, intelligence and genuine engagement with affected communities.” View, More,
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