Terrorism: Jonathan Welcomes Renewed Commitment from Cameroon, Chad, Others

Thisdaylive is reporting that President Goodluck Jonathan on friday in Abuja welcomed the renewed support for the war against terrorism coming from Nigeria’s neighbours in the last few days.

In a related development, there was pandemonium at the Yola International Airport in Adamawa State friday when a military aircraft involved in the war against terror crashed landed in the afternoon.

The president who spoke at an audience with Emmanuel Issoze Ngondet, a Special Envoy of President Ali Bongo Ondimba of Gabon applauded the “renewed and heightened commitment” of Niger, Chad, Benin Republic and Cameroon to joining forces with Nigeria to rid the West African sub region of the scourge of terrorism and violent extremism.

Jonathan reiterated that terrorist attacks on one country must be seen as an affront to all civilized nations.
He therefore called for a stronger and more effective regional, continental and global alliance against terrorism and its perpetrators.
“Boko Haram and similar terrorist groups kill people indiscriminately hiding under religious beliefs that are not found in any of the Holy Books.

"They do not represent any civilised and rational people. Civilized and rational people of the world who are in the clear majority must therefore join forces to confront  and defeat them,” Jonathan said.

The President thanked President Ondimba for Gabon’s pledge to support Nigeria’s fight against insurgency.
He assured him of Nigeria’s total commitment to prosecuting the war against terrorism to a successful conclusion.
Ngondet, who is Gabon’s Minister of Foreign Affairs said that Gabon welcomed the decision to form a multinational force that would confront terrorism.

According to him, Gabon shared Nigeria’s position that Boko Haram’s activities have no basis in religion and assured Jonathan of the support of his country and others in the Central African sub-region in fighting terrorism.
Military aircraft crash lands at Yola Airport…
Meanwhile, there was pandemonium at the Yola International Airport in Adamawa State friday when a military aircraft crashed landed in the afternoon.

The incident led to flight delays which also affected the departure of Governor Bala James Ngilari for an emergency meeting in Abuja.
An eyewitness at the Yola airport revealed that security officials swung into action immediately the incident happened adding that there was no causality.

He added: “When we heard the sound of the crash, everybody at the airport started running for safety. Some of us thought it was a bomb blast but thank God that it was not what we thought.”

Though, no official statement had been issued by the military, it is believed that the aircraft was returning from an operation to wipe out the Boko Haram terrorists in the North-east.

A military source said there were no casualties from the incident, but added that the aircraft was partially damaged.
The airport has since re-opened for flight.