Nigeria said Thursday it has appointed a general to lead a new multinational task force created to fight Boko Haram Islamists.
Major General Iliya Abbah, who previously headed military operations in the oil-rich Niger Delta, will head the five-nation force, military spokesman Major General Chris Olukolade said.
The new task force is made up of 8,700 troops fro Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Benin. The force is expected to be more effective than a current alliance in the battle to end Boko Haram’s 6- year insurgency in the region.
Boko Haram has stepped up its attacks since President Buhari took office in May, unleashing a wave of violence that has claimed 800 lives in just two months.
The announcement came as Nigerian President Buhari was in Cameroon for talks on how to combat the escalating threat from Boko Haram.
