About 120 militant Islamists have been arrested
in Maiduguri, as they were organising the burial
of one of their commanders who died in an
encounter with soldiers, an army spokesman has
said.
According to Brig Gen Olukolade, the 120
militants who were arrested were being
interrogated in the custody of the Joint Task
Force (JTF).
The latest arrest brought to more than 200 the
number of Islamists the army says it has arrested
since last week.
Defence spokesman, Brigadier General Chris
Olukolade, in a press statement added that the
military has also recaptured five areas from the
militants.

He said the Special Forces had now secured the
environs of New Marte, Hausari, Krenoa, Wulgo
and Chikun Ngulalo, all in Borno state, after
destroying all the terrorists’ camps sited in these
localities.
The statement said that the troops were already
interacting with locals and citizens assuring them
of their safety and freedom from the activities of
insurgents.

Brigadier General Olukolade said terrorists fleeing
towards Chad and Niger Republic are being
contained by the Multi-National Joint Task Force
in various locations at the border.
He said during the raid on terrorist camps, the
troops observed a few shallow graves believed to
be those of hurriedly buried members.
“Advancing troops also observed a few shallow
graves believed to be those of hurriedly buried
members of the terrorist groups,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Defence Headquarters said it had
observed the use of photographs purportedly
taken in the areas raided by the Special Forces
and wished to state that the photographs were
questionable as they did not reflect any related
reality of the social or geographical environment.
He said the story and pictures depicting
Nigerians fleeing to Niger Republic and other
countries were doubtful.

More than 2,000 Nigerians living in border
villages in Borno State were reported to have fled
as a result of the ongoing military operations
targeted at routing the insurgents from the area.
The fleeing villagers were said to have headed to
the neighbouring Niger Republic.
“Most of the residents of border villages of Borno
have fled to Niger. About 2,000 people from
Abadan, Malam Fatori and other villages are now
refugees in Difa, Niger Republic,” a top security
officer told a national dailies.

The source said that the Joint Military Task Force
was on the trail of the members of the Boko
Haram sect, who were dislodged from the
Sambisa Game Reserve and other camps on
Thursday in Borno State.
It was learnt that residents of Maiduguri and
other communities far from the border, who did
not want to be caught in the cross-fire have also
fled to some neighbouring states, including Kano
and Bauchi.