Multi-National Joint Taskforce (MNJTF) and Insecurity in Lake Chad Basin Area: Insights for Regional Unity
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The influx of bandits and refugees from the Chadian war distorted the peaceful economic activities at the Nigerian land border in the Northern part of the country. These banditry activities led to an upsurge in cases of smuggling of light arms and ammunition, drugs, human trafficking as well as other illicit border activities. Where these banditry activities were resisted, they resorted to the killing of innocent Nigerian citizens and terrorising the border area. The then Head of State, General Sani Abacha, created the Multi- National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in 1994 and charge them to flush the miscreants from the border to ensure free flow of human, goods, and services. However, as dynamic as security situations are, the Joint Task Force was later rebranded and charged with additional responsibilities to tame terrorist organisations like Boko Haram within the Lake Chad Basin (LCB) area. Hence, this study critically examines the MNJTF mandate-taming insecurity in the LCB. To achieve this, the study employed a historical research approach, relying on secondary sources of data. Thus, a qualitative descriptive method was used to analyse the data collected. Theoretically, the study adopted the regional integration theory as its analytical framework. Its major strands are the customs union, monetary union, functionalist and federalist theorists. Its findings include: the MNJTF was birthed in an unfriendly environment where mistrust, hatred, and suspicion thrived. Also, the MNJTF inherited an aged-long ideological difference between members of the LCB area. Based on the findings, the study recommends among others; that there is need for LCB states to return to the drawing board and resolve their aged long differences which bred mistrust and suspicion. The study recommended that LCB states must be committed in letter and spirit to the MNJTF by contributing their manpower, finances, and timely information. This will make the Force potent and formidable to achieving her core mandate.