From Timothy Olanrewaju Maiduguri
The Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), a regional forces, has taken medical care to about 10,000 civilians at Monguno, Borno restive town.
MNJTF Field Commander, Maj Gen AbdulKhalifa Ibrahim while flagging off the medical outreach on Friday at Monguno, said the medicare was part of the stabilization process of the counter-insurgency operation.
“In 2015, to respond to respond to violent induced by Boko Haram, countries in the Lake Chad region signed a memorandum of understanding involving both kinetic, non kinetic and stabilization process. The medical outreach today at Monguno is part of the stabilization process,” the field commander represented by the MNJTF Chief of Civil-Military activities, Col Antoine Hounkpe, disclosed.
He said the medical support include dental services, medicare for nursing mothers, distribution of wheel chairs to those affected during Boko Haram attacks among others.
He explained that the outreach was organised with $60,000 US dollars (about N25 million naira) from UK, USA, France and some countries of the Lake Chad Basin region.
Commander, Sector 3 MNJTF and Operation Hadin Kai, Monguno, Brig Gen Godwin Mutkut, said about 10,000 civilians and IDPs in the town were targeted to benefit from the medical outreach.
He said Monguno has high concentration of about 800,000 civilian population. He said malaria, typhoid, cholera or gastrointestinal diseases would be common medical challenge in such concentrated environment according to medical experts.
He commended the iniative of the MNJTF Headquarters in Njadmrna, Chad’s capital. He said the people of Monguno have remained very supportive to the counter-insuegency operation in the area.
Monguno located some 135 kilometres north of Maiduguri, capital of Borno State has experienced more than five attacks by Boko Haram since 2014 when the violence escalated around the Lake Chad shores
Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, republics of Benin and Niger are countries in the Lake Chad Basin.