By Rafiu Ajakaye
LAGOS
Nigeria will be withdrawing its troops on peacekeeping missions abroad to strengthen counterterrorism efforts against Boko Haram at home.
"There is a need for a troop surge in operational areas which may require recalling Nigerian troops from peacekeeping missions abroad to enhance the operational capabilities of the Nigerian military," Mike Omeri, head of the national counterterrorism information center, told a news briefing in Abuja on Thursday.
For the last five years, Nigeria has battled a fierce Boko Haram insurgency that has ravaged the country's volatile northeast and claimed thousands of lives.
The year 2014 proved to be the insurgency's bloodiest year yet, with increasingly frequent attacks, higher death tolls and a deluge of displaced persons.
A seemingly emboldened Boko Haram recently stepped up its militant activity, seizing several areas of Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states, where it has since declared an "Islamic caliphate."
Omeri acknowledged recent shows of international solidarity with Nigeria in its fight against Boko Haram.
"The challenge of the Boko Haram insurgency, though a Nigerian challenge, is a threat to regional and international peace and security, which requires the concerted action of Nigeria and friendly countries to combat," he said.
He reiterated the government's oft-stated belief that only a "global" alliance could tackle the scourge of terrorism.
The official asserted that Nigeria and other nations were working hard to combat the trend, citing a Jan. 20 meeting of officials from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Benin.
He said the meeting had discussed "various challenges militating against the full operationalization of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) and its apparent collapse."
Meeting participants sought authorization from the UN Security Council, through the African Union, to set up, fund and deploy a more effective multinational force to combat Boko Haram.
But Omeri seemed to have reservations about the deployment of foreign troops in the country to help tackle the crisis.
"The offer of military and humanitarian assistance from regional and international bodies should be deployed along Nigeria's common borders with neighboring countries with a clear mandate, command and control, as well as rules of engagement," Omeri said.
Boko Haram militants recently staged a daring attack on the MNJTF in Baga, a densely populated town located some 160km from Maiduguri, provincial capital of Borno State.
The attack has forced thousands of residents to flee their homes.
Amnesty International asserted that the attacks on Baga and on the adjacent town of Doron Baga had caused "devastation of catastrophic proportions."
It said satellite images of Baga showed that 620 structures had been damaged or completely destroyed in the attack, while more than 3,100 had been damaged or destroyed in Doron Baga only 2.5km away.
