ABUJA—The Defence Headquarters, yesterday, declared that military operations to secure Gwoza town seized by the insurgents earlier this month was ongoing even as Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau was defiant, proclaiming Islamic caliphate in the town which he said was now firmly in the grip of the sect.

Responding to the claim by the sect leader that Gwoza town seized by the insurgents earlier this month has been placed under an Islamic caliphate, the military authorities said “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Nigerian state is still intact”.

The Boko Haram leader had in a new video, yesterday, claimed that he has created an Islamic caliphate in Gwoza. In the 52-minutes video obtained by AFP, Shekau said: “Thanks be to Allah who gave victory to our brethren in Gwoza and made it part of the Islamic caliphate. Gwoza, has nothing to do with Nigeria. By the grace of Allah we will not leave the town. We have come to stay”.

Boko Haram claim empty — Military

The Defence Headquarters, however, in a tweet on its twitter handle stated that “the claim is empty. Any group of terrorists laying claim to any portion of the country will not be allowed to get away with the expression of delusion and crime. Appropriate military operations to secure that area from the activities of the bandits are still ongoing”.

The United Nations humanitarian office (OCHA) earlier this month confirmed reports that Gwoza was under rebel control.

Boko Haram is also believed to be in control of other areas near Gwoza in southern Borno, as well as large swathes of territory in northern Borno and at least one town in neighbouring Yobe State.

Troops recently stormed communities close to Balmo forest in a military operation that lasted two days. Prior to the operation, Balmo forest stretching from Bauchi through Jigawa State with links to the fringes of Sambisa forest was used by terrorists as bases and hideouts for launching attacks.

During the operation, terrorists and armed gangs operating in the forests were completely dislodged while some were captured. Among those captured were two foreigners who were suspected to be mercenaries.

Also captured were several weapons and equipment including power generating sets, communication equipment, vehicles, motorcycles, foodstuff and kitchen utensils.

Governor Shettima reacts

In his reaction to the reported declaration of Gwoza as a territory of the Islamic sect, Governor Kashim Shettima said: ‘I cannot comment on the authenticity or otherwise of that video in question, I will leave that to security experts. I also cannot disclose measures being adopted by security agencies on whatever development in Gwoza or any part of Borno State but I can assure the good people of Borno State and other members of the public that the State Government is actively in touch and supporting security agencies deployed to Borno State in the counter insurgency efforts and insha Allah, the combined efforts will not be in vain.

“We are not just studying the situation with collaborative tact and urgency but indeed, appropriate measures are being taken by the right authorities. For now, I urge the good people of Borno State to remain calm and resolute in their support for security agencies, abiding faith and prayers. The security agencies, I am sure, are in the position to analyse the content of the said new video, compare with the facts on ground in Gwoza and brief the Nigerian public as they deem professionally appropriate, bearing in mind the National interest and patriotism as well as the overall safety of citizens.

“Let me use this opportunity to, while thanking members of the Nigerian and International media for their firm support for Borno people and its government since this insurgency crisis in 2009, make a strong appeal that we do not dramatise and sensationalise issues such as the one connected with Gwoza, so that we all do not fall for the objective of insurgents, which is to at all times, claim victory over our sovereign State, our rights to existence, our freedom and our liberty, as it is always their goal to create so much panic that would make anyone who doesn’t share their ideology feel unsafe and defeated.

“Even as those of us in the media work tirelessly to disseminate information in the discharge of important duties that aim to protect the fundamental rights of the public to know happenings within and around them, we must at this moment, more than ever before, do our jobs with patriotic support for our country and its security forces as well as our passion for humanity as against those that seek to send humanity into extinction. As disturbing as what is said to be the development is, I remain very optimistic that victory will never go the way of those that violently stand between fellow human beings and their divine rights to exist as God’s creatures on earth”

Source: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/fg-boko-haram-battle-control-gwoza/

God Bless the Nigerian Army.

LordMecuzy: God Bless the Nigerian Army.

AMEN

shakarawu when will you take over aso rock ?

When things like this happens, we need results. Coming to the media to sell us some propaganda will not help the Defense Hq. Go to Gwoza take it back and let us know.

nigeria shall overcome this one day..God help nigerian army...

NA seems to fight more on the media than on the ground!

wazoboy: NA seems to fight more on the media than on the ground!

True talk.

When our military brass Stop making noise like cheerleaders and face the situation at hand them we can making progress. During that attack there was NO support to destroy advancing buggiess. How on earth would the military allow these bandits to ride around with APC,pickup trucks with heavy gunship. We must get Birds for NAF now!!! Not VIP transpotplane. We are at war with a state

Too much talking and less action is the problem of the Nigerian army.Just like you said,we want action.

egift: When things like this happens, we need results. Coming to the media to sell us some propaganda will not help the Defense Hq. Go to Gwoza take it back and let us know.

idumuose: Too much talking and less action is the problem of the Nigerian army.Just like you said,we want action.

Thank You. Minimah is busy visiting Rivers,calabar. Making noise about new weapons. while his men are loosing there base to this bandits

Ibnsultan01: Thank You. Minimah is busy visiting Rivers,calabar. Making noise about new weapons. while his men are loosing there base to this bandits

I am forced to declare that Minimah is unfit for the position COAS.I stand to be corrected by those who are more informed.

The COAS should be operating and stationed permanently in the NE Sector, not gallivanting about SE and SS States. If the top Army man is around that would boost the morale of the fighting troops.

It means BH is winning on Utube not on ground

idumuose:
I am forced to declare that Minimah is unfit for the position COAS.I stand to be corrected by those who are more informed.

Mininah Got the Job thanks to politics. His not fit intellectually and physically for the job. Infact Badeh CDS is a disgrace

Ibnsultan01: Mininah Got the Job thanks to politics. His not fit intellectually and physically for the job. Infact Badeh CDS is a disgrace

Then it behoves the President on whose table the success of this counter insurgency lies to make that necessary changes in the military hierarchy in order to bring in more competent officers to end this evil bedevelling us.

i am tired of all this talking without a corresponding action.

egift: When things like this happens, we need results. Coming to the media to sell us some propaganda will not help the Defense Hq. Go to Gwoza take it back and let us know.

d question is , why did they allow bh to take over gwoza despite d emergency rule? The military and b FG hav both failed us.

THE greatest threat facing the nation’s war against the Boko Haram and other Islamist insurgents has to do with the unprecedented acts of sabotage that the national assignment is facing. Never at any other time in the history of Nigeria had the army been so bedeviled by internal and external undermining of efforts to rid the country of terrorists and other enemies of her unity and progress.
The sabotage comes in so many forms. It is both within and outside the confines of the armed forces. According to media reports, some military officers with sympathy for the cause of the insurgents sometimes reportedly divulge critical information about the plans of the military to undertake campaigns or even funnel military equipment to their partisans in the enemy camp. This, we learnt, has led to the unceremonious cancellation of such campaigns to avoid putting officers and men in danger of running into ambushes.
One of the greatest forms of the sabotage is misinformation. Many sympathisers of Boko Haram are very eager to approach, mainly, the foreign media to say uncomplimentary things about our armed forces . They create an impression of Boko Haram as an invincible force and Sambisa, their chosen camp, as an impregnable fortress. It is this misinformation and the subsequent avoidable losses in men and military material that give rise to the tales of real or imagined “mutinies” and protests among our men under arms.
The military high command, as well as their supervisory political authorities, must take firm steps to discourage acts of sabotage against our men and women confronting the terrorists. We are fully in support of the assurance by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt General Kenneth Minimah, that the army will henceforth go tough on saboteurs and visit them with the strictest dictates of the law when nabbed and convicted of the crime.
We are also gratified to note that army is on the verge of taking delivery of sophisticated equipment. It will surely boost morale among the troops and spur them to greater effort to flush the terrorists out of Nigeria.
We call on the mass media to redouble their efforts and throw their full support for the armed forces. More efforts should be made to de-emphasise the dissemination of sensational and unsubstantiated information because we may be unwittingly playing into the hands of the terrorists. It is important for media houses to take a closer hold of their online editions and minimise their use by the terrorists and their supporters to achieve their evil purposes.
The war on terror is not for the army, security agencies or the federal government alone. It is a collective effort. We must report suspected saboteurs to the appropriate authorities and keep our communities safe.

- See more at: http://www.vanguardngr.com/2014/08/going-tough-saboteurs/#sthash.2n15VuzI.dpuf

Why capture them? That's why they are still talking.