About 850 soldiers shortlisted for a counter-
terrorism course at the Nigerian Army Training
Centre in Kontagora, Niger State narrowly escaped
death when they were ambushed by suspected
members of the outlawed Boko Haram islamist sect.
Four of them were however seriously injured in
the incident which took place at a location
between Okene and Lokoja, Kogi State on Sunday
night.
A security source said on Monday that the soldiers
were men of the 322 Artillery Battalion, and the
Fourth Brigade Garrison, Ekeunwa, Benin in Edo
State.
The PUNCH learnt that the 850 soldiers were
expected to give fillip to the ongoing counter-
terrorism operation in Borno and Adamawa states
on completion of the counter- insurgency course.
Our source said there were suspicions that the
attackers were insurgents because of the intensity
of the gunfire directed at the vans conveying the
soldiers from both sides of the road.
He added that the soldiers, who shot their way
through the ambush, passed the night at the
Nigeria Army formation in Lokoja.
The four injured soldiers, according to him, were
taken to a military facility in Lokoja while the
commanders of the troops addressed the others on
Monday morning.
The source said, “There was an attack on soldiers
along the Okene-Lokoja Road on Sunday night. Four
of the soldiers were seriously wounded in the
attack though all of them are still alive and are
receiving treatment at Lokoja.
“The soldiers were on their way for a course at
Kontagora, where they are expected to be
deployed in the North-East for the war against
the insurgents.
“The soldiers were pulled out from two military
formations in Benin–the 322 Artillery Battalion
and the Fourth Brigade Garrison in Ekeunwan,
Benin.
“It was not long that the soldiers returned from
a peacekeeping operation in Sudan; they were
members of the NIBBATT 41 that returned to
the country about two months ago.
“The soldiers were taken unawares as the
attackers operated from both sides of the road
and got four of the soldiers seriously wounded.
“However, they returned the fire and passed
through to Lokoja where they were addressed
the following morning. I believe as I talk to you
that they must have left for Kotangora to
participate in the planned course.”
The source said that there were feelings that
somebody might have given out information on the
movement of the troops from Benin to Kontagora.
Efforts to get the comment of the Director of
Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, on
the latest ambush were futile as the calls to his
mobile telephone indicated that it was switched
off.
It will be recalled that about 190 Nigerian troops
were ambushed by militants a few kilometres from
Okene on January 19, 2013.
The militants were said to have cut through the
convoy of Mali-bound Nigerian Army peacekeepers
travelling in three luxury buses via Kaduna to
Bamako, Mali.
They first hit the convoy with Improvised
Explosive Devices planted on the highway before
firing on the troops afterwards. Two soldiers were
killed and several others injured during the attack.
A few days after the incident, a group, Jama’atu
Ansarul Muslimina Fi Biladis-Sudan, claimed that it
carried out the attack. The group is a break-
away faction of Boko Haram.


Source: Punch news.

There is clearly strong boko haram presence in Kogi no one is talking about .. By the time the Kogi cell starts to overun the middle belt it won't be funny .. The govt need to start extensive intel in kogi to try to make it uneasy for BH

Is Nigeria experiencing a new round of terrorists activities. It is time Mr. President take this issue as a long term problem instead of furiously trying to crush terrorism in a day. Security has definitely become an issue for our country. Who next will this new group attack? The President should do everything possible to prevent terrorist cells from spreading to other regions of the country. If it spreads I fear that our country is done for.
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