President Buhari arrives Cameroon for Talks

President Muhammadu Buhari today commenced a two-day visit to Cameroon to hold talks with President Paul Biya and senior Cameroonian officials in continuation of his efforts to build a more effective regional coalition against Boko Haram.

Presidential spokesman Femi Adesina indicated yesterday that

talks between the two leaders would focus on the full activation and deployment of the Multinational Joint Task Force against Boko Haram established under the auspices of the Lake Chad Basin Commission.  They will also discuss further joint measures to curb terrorism, violent extremism and other cross-border crimes.

President Buhari had on his delegation several state governors, permanent Secretary of the Federal Ministry of Defence and the Director-General of the National Intelligence Agency.   

The governors on the entourage are Alhaji Mohammed Bindow of Adamawa State, Mr. Emmanuel Udom of Akwa Ibom State, Mr. Samuel Ortom of Benue State, Alhaji Kashim Shettima of Borno State, Mr. Ben Ayade of Cross River State and Mr. Darius Ishaku of Taraba State.

Presidential guard soldiers were posted on rooftops of houses and along the route from the airport to the presidential palace in Yaounde, while vehicles armed with machine-guns patrolled the streets and access to the hotel where Buhari will stay was blocked.

The trip comes a day after Nigeria vowed that a new regional force tasked with fighting the jihadists would go into action soon.

President Buhari, who is due back in Abuja on Thursday, will also meet with Nigerians living in Cameroon.