Intelligence unit tackles rebels in West Africa

A newspaper, with a front-page story about Boko Haram, is seen at a vendor's stand in the Ikoyi district in Lagos, Nigeria. File picture: Akintunde Akinleye

A newspaper, with a front-page story about Boko Haram, is seen at a vendor's stand in the Ikoyi district in Lagos, Nigeria. File picture: Akintunde Akinleye

Published Jun 12, 2014

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Abuja -

An external intelligence response unit has been created by five African and three Western countries as a result of a summit on terrorism held in May, the co-ordinator of Nigeria's National Information Centre said on Wednesday.

A press statement issued by the co-ordinator, Mike Omeri, described the move as a major achievement in the fight against rebel groups in West Africa.

Countries participating in the unit will share information on security, mainly terrorism-related matters.

Nigeria, Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Britain, France and the United States comprise the unit, Omeri said.

The National Information Centre was created to co-ordinate the flow of information on the Islamist group Boko Haram, which has killed thousands of people in Nigeria. - Sapa-dpa

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