The State House correspondent of German State Radio Station, Deutsche Welle, Monday had his Presidential Villa accreditation withdrawn by the Chief Security officer (CSO) to the President, Mr. Gordon Obua, over a question that he asked visiting Chadian President, Idris Deby, which the security boss found ‘offensive’.
The veteran correspondent, Mr. Ubale Musa, who was also escorted out of the villa by security operatives after packing up his belongings from the press hall of the villa, asked the Chadian president about the link between the multi-regional joint task force and mercenaries believed to be fighting alongside Nigerian troops in the war against the Boko Haram on the northeastern side of the Nigerian border.
Deby in his reply to the question denied knowledge of the existence of mercenaries.
Chadian soldiers alongside troops from Niger and Cameroun make up the multi-regional task force, which is also receiving help from mercenaries, according to credible media reports.
The reports have confirmed the presence of South African mercenaries on Nigerian soil though the Nigerian government have repeatedly said they are just consultants on non-combative role, who are training troops on how to use newly acquired weapons on the field.
Meanwhile, President Deby has said he does not know where the leader of the Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, is hiding.
Deby’s volte face is coming months after he was widely reported to have warned the terrorists’ leader to surrender or risk being killed by Chadian forces.
Speaking with State House Correspondents during his visit to President Goodluck Jonathan, he said, “I cannot tell you today that I know where Shekau is hiding and even if I knew I won’t tell you.”
“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 difficulties times,” he said. He however regretted that both countries are not undertaking joint military operations in the fight against Boko Haram.
“It is regrettable that the two armies, that is the Nigerian army and the Chadian Army are working separately in the field, they are not undertaking joint operations. If they were operating joint operations probably they would have achieved more results even though it is true Boko Haram has not been completely eradicated but they have been tremendously weakened,” he added.
After his visit to President Jonathan, President Deby departed to the Defence House, where he met with President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari
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