2013-07-26 23:44:55
The leader of the Boko Haram Islamic
sect, Sheikh Abubakar Shekau, may have
been cornered by operatives of the Joint
Task Force in Gwoza hills, Borno State.
A top security source told Saturday
PUNCH on Thursday that the JTF had
located the area where the Boko Haram
leader was hiding.
The source stated, "We are combing
Gwoza hills where we believe Shekau is
hiding."
The source added that a unit of the
Army's Special Forces team had
launched a "well-coordinated assault"
on a group of insurgents somewhere in
the Gwoza hills areas on June 26, 2013.
Shekau, the source added, was in the
group of Islamists, with some of his
closest aides.
He added that the operation ran into
"hitches" and in the ensuing gun battle
some of the insurgents and members of
the Special Forces group lost their lives.
Another military source told Saturday
PUNCH that one of the army casualties
was one of the country's best Special
Forces officer, Major A.T. Fambiya, who
had volunteered to lead the operation.
Sources told Saturday PUNCH five
soldiers were also gunned down by the
insurgents during the encounter.
Fambiya, who hailed from Gwoza Local
Government Area of Borno State, had
reportedly volunteered for the mission
because of his excellent knowledge of
the area.
The source said the military authorities
had accepted Fambiya's offer because he
had grown up in the area and he
understood the area's rocky terrain.
Fambiya, who was on posting to the 322
Artillery Regiment in Benin City, Edo
State, was redeployed to the JTF on June
13, 2013, a few weeks into his
deployment to the JTF's Operation
Boyona.
A brief biography of the late soldier
presented by the Nigerian Army
authorities during his burial at the
Nigerian Military Cemetery, Abuja on
Thursday stated that he "was killed in
action on 26 June in a fierce encounter
with Boko Haram terrorists."
The secrecy surrounding the operation
made the next of kin to the Major, a
pastor, Iliya Joshua, to call on the
Federal Government to investigate the
cause of the death of his brother.
"We call on the Federal Government to
investigate the rumoured cause of the
death of the officers since it remains a
mystery to our family," he said, without
giving any explanation about what he
meant by "rumoured death".
Iliya later told our correspondent that
he made the call to the Federal
Government and the military authorities
to investigate the deaths because his
brother was not supposed to be in
Borno.
He said that the late major was
supposed to be undergoing training at
the Nigerian Army School of Artillery,
Kantagora, Niger State.
He said, "I made the call because he was
supposed to be at the Army school of
artillery. The last time I called him, he
said that he was not part of those
people that were going to Maiduguri for
this operation.
"But later, I was told that he had been
killed. He was not supposed to be on
posting to that place."
When our correspondent contacted the
Director of Defence Information, Brig.
Gen Chris Olukolade, he said that the
mandate of the JTF was to look for all
insurgents and not just the leader of the
Boko Haram sect.
"We know that we are combing
everywhere for every insurgent. The
pursuit of the insurgents is continuing.
That is the mandate at the moment," he
said.
President Goodluck Jonathan had told
the CNN a few days ago that the Boko
Haram threat would be overcome by
security operatives in the country.
He said that the Federal Government was
neither negotiating nor begging the
Islamic militants as steps were being
taken to deal decisively with the scourge.
He had said, "We are not negotiating
with Boko Haram. It is done all over the
world. It is not negotiation. We are not
begging.
"Our security architecture was first
designed to deal with ordinary criminals
but since terror started, we have been
building it. I believe if you are to
interview me again in three months'
time, you will praise me that this
government has tried.
"We are tackling terror from various
angles. We must first of all stop them
through military intervention, which we
have initiated by declaring a state of
emergency in three states where these
terror attacks are predominant."

another hide and see game.... oya let him go and hide again na

they cornered him since 26 june snd uptil now he has not been captured. . I can't imagine that punch is reporting this

Did America announce it to the world before they cornered and killed Osama bin Laden?
Nigeria and our ways...

Punch just want sell

they cornered him since 26 june and uptil now he has not been captured. . I can't imagine that punch is reporting this

Punch wuna don fail dis time

Parapo owambe journalism.

RIP 2 dd gallant officer, Major Fambiya; I salute ur courage n ur name shall forever be in my heart!!! Wellddone sire, till we meet again in time to come!!! Ur legacy shall leave on n shall pervadde tru all our lives as Nigerians!!! We shall nvr give up on ur fight n shall gallantly continue to see Nigeria turn a safe n better heaven!!!

*solemn salutes*