In what looked like a move to reinforce the troops fighting Boko Haram terrorists in North-eastern Nigeria, the Nigerian army Monday night deployed over 30 armoured tanks to Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States that were recently ordered by the federal government to crush the insurgency.

THISDAY confirmed the movement of about two trailer loads of over 30 tanks around 9 pm along the Abuja-Lokoja Expressway.

This is just as the Borno youth vigilantes, popularly known as the Civilian JTF, yesterday dispelled reports that Boko Haram terrorists had taken over Bama, the second largest town in Borno State, stating that it was the insurgents, who had recorded major casualties during their fight with the military on Monday, losing 130 members with 35 others arrested.

The insurgents, who had launched an early dawn raid on Bama, were repelled by the military and prevented from entering Maidugri, the state capital.

The tanks, which looked rusty with the “UN” inscription on them, appeared to have been offloaded recently from the seaports and were heading towards the north.

Efforts to get confirmation from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and Defence Headquarters (DHQ) were futile as their spokespersons could not be reached.

However, an intelligent officer who spoke to THISDAY on the issue said the tanks were disguised with the UN insignia on them in order to conceal their place of origin.
In May this year, ABC News, an American television network, had reported that the federal government, through ONSA, had hired a powerful Washington lobbyist to press its case for the release of intelligence on Boko Haram and to persuade the Barack Obama administration to donate non-lethal equipment.

The report stated that two months before Boko Haram was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) by the US in November 2013, ONSA signed a $3 million-a-year contract with K Street firm Patton Boggs to “provide comprehensive security advice, including the donation of excess military and law enforcement equipment”, according to documents filed with the US Justice Department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.

Patton Boggs was also reported to have asked for non-lethal protective hardware to be donated to Nigeria such as mine-resistant armoured personnel vehicles, night vision goggles and communications equipment from Iraq and Afghanistan stockpiles left over from the US’ war in the countries.

Meanwhile, the Borno youth vigilante group has dispelled news reports that the Boko Haram insurgents had taken control of Bama.

They said instead, it was the group that suffered massive casualties during the gun battle with the military on Monday, losing 130 persons with 35 others arrested.

At a press briefing in Maiduguri, spokesman of the Civilian JTF, who is also the legal adviser to the group, Mr. Jibrin Gunda, said: “We categorically refute the statement credited to Senator Ahmed Zanna, the senator representing Borno Central on the BBC Hausa service that Boko Haram had captured Bama.

“News has filtered most especially on foreign media to which we want to clearly state that our security personnel are doing their best and yesterday our gallant soldiers successfully repelled the insurgents that attacked Bama.

“Bama as a town in Borno State has never been overrun or overtaken by the insurgents even for a minute, even as of now our soldiers are in full control of the town.

ForFun: Pictures??

Krak: How can two trucks carry 30 Armoured tanks? And what happened to rapid deployment with our Hercules C-130 transport planes?

Anyway... may God give the army complete victory.

wazoboy: In what looked like a move to
reinforce the troops fighting Boko
Haram terrorists in North-eastern
Nigeria, the Nigerian army Monday
night deployed over 30 armoured
tanks to Borno, Adamawa and Yobe
States that were recently ordered by
the federal government to crush the
insurgency.
THISDAY confirmed the movement
of about two trailer loads of over 30
tanks around 9 pm along the Abuja-
Lokoja Expressway.
This is just as the Borno youth
vigilantes, popularly known as the
Civilian JTF, yesterday dispelled
reports that Boko Haram terrorists
had taken over Bama, the second
largest town in Borno State, stating
that it was the insurgents, who had
recorded major casualties during
their fight with the military on
Monday, losing 130 members with
35 others arrested.
The insurgents, who had launched
an early dawn raid on Bama, were
repelled by the military and
prevented from entering Maidugri,
the state capital.
The tanks, which looked rusty with
the “UN” inscription on them,
appeared to have been offloaded
recently from the seaports and were
heading towards the north.
Efforts to get confirmation from the
Office of the National Security
Adviser (ONSA) and Defence
Headquarters (DHQ) were futile as
their spokespersons could not be
reached.
However, an intelligent officer who
spoke to THISDAY on the issue said
the tanks were disguised with the
UN insignia on them in order to
conceal their place of origin.
In May this year, ABC News, an
American television network, had
reported that the federal
government, through ONSA, had
hired a powerful Washington
lobbyist to press its case for the
release of intelligence on Boko
Haram and to persuade the Barack
Obama administration to donate
non-lethal equipment.
The report stated that two months
before Boko Haram was designated
a Foreign Terrorist Organisation
(FTO) by the US in November 2013,
ONSA signed a $3 million-a-year
contract with K Street firm Patton
Boggs to “provide comprehensive
security advice, including the
donation of excess military and law
enforcement equipment”, according
to documents filed with the US
Justice Department under the
Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Patton Boggs was also reported to
have asked for non-lethal protective
hardware to be donated to Nigeria
such as mine-resistant armoured
personnel vehicles, night vision
goggles and communications
equipment from Iraq and
Afghanistan stockpiles left over from
the US’ war in the countries.
Meanwhile, the Borno youth
vigilante group has dispelled news
reports that the Boko Haram
insurgents had taken control of
Bama.
They said instead, it was the group
that suffered massive casualties
during the gun battle with the
military on Monday, losing 130
persons with 35 others arrested.
At a press briefing in Maiduguri,
spokesman of the Civilian JTF, who
is also the legal adviser to the group,
Mr. Jibrin Gunda, said: “We
categorically refute the statement
credited to Senator Ahmed Zanna,
the senator representing Borno
Central on the BBC Hausa service
that Boko Haram had captured
Bama.
“News has filtered most especially
on foreign media to which we want
to clearly state that our security
personnel are doing their best and
yesterday our gallant soldiers
successfully repelled the insurgents
that attacked Bama.
“Bama as a town in Borno State has
never been overrun or overtaken by
the insurgents even for a minute,
even as of now our soldiers are in
full control of the town.
“In view of this, we categorically
deny and disassociate ourselves with
an interview granted to some
foreign media by one Senator
Ahmed Zanna as what he stated are
not the true facts on ground. More
so, the interview he granted has
contributed to instilling fear in the
minds of citizens of Borno State and
residents of Maiduguri in particular.”
He advised residents of Borno not to
panic because of what he described
as rumours, adding: “We want to re-
assure the citizens of Borno State
that nobody should leave Maiduguri
because all that has been said are
mere rumours.
“As such, people should be calm as
the Nigerian security forces are
capable, willing and competent to
discharge their duties. All citizens
should desist from making
unguarded and false statements
which might frighten the citizens
unnecessarily.”
The spokesman of the vigilante
group called on President Goodluck
Jonathan to do all he could to
support the armed forces in the
fight against terrorism so as to end
the menace in the shortest possible
time.
“We equally wish and call on Mr.
President to take seriously and bring
to book personalities mentioned in
the report of Dr. Steven Davies, if
doing so will help in bringing the
Boko Haram insurgency to an end,
as Nigeria is superior and better
than any person in the country,”
Gunda added.
THISDAY gathered that the troops
were able to repel the attack by the
Boko Haram insurgents with the
assistance of air raids on Bama by
the Nigerian Air Force.
In order to gain the upper hand, the
military had advised residents to
vacate the town to enable the air
force bombard the insurgents who
were bent on taking over the military
barracks in Bama, but were forced
back by the superior fire power of
the military.
Also, confirming the non-capture of
Bama, the Deputy Governor of
Borno State, Zannah Umar
Mustapha, yesterday said Bama had
not fallen into the hands of the
Boko Haram terrorist group,
insisting that the military was in full
control of the security situation in
the town.
He made the statement at a press
briefing on Bama and various parts
of the state at the Government
House, Maiduguri.
He revealed that the attempted
attack on Bama had left over 2,000
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs)
who are presently in Maiduguri, and
had been resettled at the National
Youths Service Corps (NYSC)
orientation camp and Government
Girls Secondary School (GGSS),
Maiduguri.
“The attack on Bama town yesterday
(Monday) was very unfortunate, but
I want to reassure our people that
government is on top of the
situation. Already, those in the camp
are being taken care of and our
security forces are engaging the
insurgents in a fierce battle which is
worthy of commendation,”
Mustapha said.
He also appealed to the people to
desist from spreading false
information or creating unnecessary
tension among themselves and
society.
Speaking on the displaced persons,
Mustapha said: “Due to the rising
number of displaced persons,
another camp has been established
at GGSS, Maiduguri to accommodate
a maximum of 3,000 persons. In
these camps, government has
provided basic amenities to make
their stay comfortable.
“Currently in all these camps,
including the ones at Madagali, Uba
and Mubi in Adamawa State, people
enjoy three square meals,
healthcare services and hostels for
their accommodation, until the
security situation improves for them
to return to their respective towns,
communities and villages.”
However, the statements by the
deputy governor and the Civilian JTF
were in stark contrast to reports by
the BBC and AFP, which quoted
Zanna as stating that Bama had
been overrun by the insurgents.
Both reports said yesterday that the
attack by Boko Haram on Bama had
caused the military and residents to
flee the town, after the initial effort
by the troops on Monday morning
to keep the insurgents at bay.
The terrorists were said to have
regrouped later in the day and
attacked the military barracks in the
town, forcing hundreds of soldiers
to flee to Maiduguri.
AFP also reported that air strikes by
the air force failed to distinguish
between Nigerian troops and the
insurgents, leading to casualties on
both sides.
But while there was confusion over
Bama, the Camerounian army
yesterday claimed to have killed
more than 40 Boko Haram fighters
who tried to storm a strategic
border crossing from Nigeria.
Heavily armed fighters “attempted to
cross the bridge at Fotokol” in the
extreme north of the country and
opened fire on Camerounian
soldiers, the country’s Ministry of
Defence told state radio.
“Cameroun defence forces
energetically reacted to this assault
which lasted three hours,” the
ministry said, adding that one
soldier was wounded by mortar
shrapnel.
There was no independent
confirmation of the battle.
Gamboru Ngala, the Nigerian town
on the other side of the bridge, fell
to the Islamist extremists last week
after they reportedly overran the
Nigerian garrison there.
Cameroun’s Defence Ministry said
246 Nigerian soldiers and customs
officials who had fled Gamboru
Ngala into Cameroun to escape the
Boko Haram offensive “have left the
Fotokol area under military escort”
to rejoin their units in Banki in
Nigeria.
Several hundred Nigerian soldiers
abandoned border posts further to
the south along the long and
isolated border last week in the face
of the militants’ advance, military
sources said.
The Nigerian army denied its troops
had fled into Cameroon, instead
calling the retreat a “tactical
manoeuvre”.

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