Nigeria President Urges Regional Cooperation Against Terrorism

Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has called for better regional cooperation to fight terrorism, especially the Boko Haram insurgency in the West African sub-region.



"Boko Haram has a lot of external influence from outside Africa and it has become even more imperative for all countries in the region to work together to overcome terrorism and other criminal activities across their borders," presidential spokesman Reuben Abati said in a statement on Monday night capturing Jonathan's comment after a meeting with his Chadian counterpart Idris Deby in Ndjamena.



"If the countries do not cooperate,  we will not find it easy to win the war, because when the heat is strong in one country, the criminals and terrorists will go to  another one and hide," he said.



"So we must work together and we are discussing along that line."



Abati said Monday's meeting focused mainly on "security and economic cooperation" between the two countries.



According to the statement, Jonathan returned to Abuja following his one-day visit to Chad.



Monday's meeting was the second in the last one month between Jonathan and Deby, whose country has become increasingly involved in Nigeria's fight against Boko Haram insurgents.



A truce Deby purportedly brokered between Nigeria and the militants have become controversial after a man claiming to be Boko Haram leader Abubakar Shekau denied the deal.



The militants followed the denouncement with sporadic attacks and abductions, with opposition politicians calling the deal "fake" and conceived to deceive the public ahead next year's election.



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