The Minister of Defence, Mohammed Badaru Abubakar, has expressed Nigeria’s desire to learn from Egypt’s effective counterterrorism efforts in North Sinai as a means to combat terrorism and banditry within the country.
The Minister said this on Thursday in Abuja during the commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the Egyptian Armed Forces Day, celebrating the ‘Glorious October War Victory’ of 1973.
He commended Egypt’s continued military strength and commitment to safeguarding its sovereignty, even five decades after the war in 1973, noting that the North African country has also achieved success in defeating terrorism in North Sinai.
”As you may be aware, Nigeria is also battling terrorism and banditry in certain parts of the country, and we are adopting methods similar to those employed by the Egyptian government.
”Our counterterrorism efforts in Nigeria are centered on a comprehensive, all of government approach that includes reconstruction and development programmes aimed at improving the lives of our citizens.
”It is our hope that our armed forces can draw valuable lessons from your experiences to address our own challenges.