Nigeria goes to war in Mali

* Omo see groove, make una go well ooh, even the sisi wey dey front *

Nigeria is deploying 1,200 troops in Mali, where a war is raging to flush out insurgents from the North.
President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday got the Senate’s nod for the deployment, which is to stave off the incursion of terrorists, who are already troubling some northern states through the Boko Haram.
The President will today attend an extra-ordinary session of the ECOWAS Heads of State and Government in Abidjan, Cote D’Ivoire, where the regional block’s full troops deployment will be approved.
Dr. Jonathan will be accompanied by Defence Minister of State Mrs. Olusola Obada and Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Ola Sa’ad Ibrahim.
Nigerian troops are to serve in the African-led International Support Mission to Mali (AFISMA) for “limited combat duties”.
Jonathan’s request for the Senate’s approval was contained in a nine-paragraph letter entitled “Notification to the Senate on the deployment of members of the Armed Forces on a limited combat duty to Mali and request for consent”.
The January 16 letter was read by Senate President David Mark and debated by the lawmakers who gave their consent unanimously.
Jonathan said: “Having satisfied myself that our national security is under imminent threat or danger as a result of the crises in northern Mali, I, in consultation with the National Defence Council, approved the deployment of a contingent of 1,200 members of the Armed Forces to serve in the African-led force (AFISMA) in Mali for limited combat duties.