The Headquarters, Multinational Joint Taskforce (MNJTF), has honoured 24 military officers from the Republic of Benin, Nigeria, and Chad with MNJTF medals and Operation YANCIN TAFKI Medal in recognition of their meritorious service for peace and security in Lake Chad.

The MNJTF spokesman, Col. Muhammad Dole, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in N’Djamena.

Mr Dole said the officers were decorated at a medal parade ceremony for the outgoing officers after completing one year tour of duty.

The MNJTF force commander, Maj.-Gen. Abdul-Khalifah Ibrahim, said the award of medals had remained one of the most cherished and sacred traditions of the military in recognition of bravery or gallantry, heroism, or meritorious service.

Mr Ibrahim added that the MNJTF was re-operationalised in 2015 to tackle the insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin region and restore normalcy to the affected communities.

According to him, since its inception, the force has conducted operations and undertook other non-kinetic activities to achieve its mandate.

The operations, coordinated at MNJTF headquarters by the military staff officers, have yielded many successes, including the liberation of communities previously held by the terrorists, the rescue of thousands of captives, killing off countless insurgents, according to the statement.

He further disclosed that the operations had also led to the resettlement of thousands of refugees and internally displaced persons back to Banki town, Baga and Doron Baga in Nigeria; Amchide and Kolofata in Cameroon; and Baroua in the Niger Republic, among others.

The commander also mentioned that there had not been a record of mistreatment of the surrendering Boko Haram/ISWAP insurgents by MNJTF troops, saying the ongoing mass surrender of terrorists was handled professionally.

He also confirmed the killing of key Boko Haram/ISWAP leaders, Abu Musab Al-Barnawi and Mallam Bako, giving assurance that MNJTF troops would go after any successor and the terrorist groups as a whole.

(NAN)