The top hierarchy of the troops
combating Boko Haram in North East
Nigeria yesterday denied media reports
detailing how some 105 soldiers of the
country’s army suddenly went missing
after a battle with terrorists in Borno
State.
Theater commander of the Lafiya Dole
counter-insurgency operation, Major
General Yushau Abubakar, said though
troops of the 157 Battalion in border
communities of Borno had recently come
under heavy attacks from Boko Haram,
he had not received any reports from
field commanders that soldiers
numbering up to 105 soldiers were
unaccounted for.
Major General Abubakar, who made this
known at a press conference he jointly
granted by the air component of the
Operation Lafiya Dole, Air Commodore
Dayo Amao, argued that his troops were
fully on ground and in control.
“We captured and held Gudumbal when
our troops went there on raid and
clearance of camps of Boko Haram. Of
course we were attacked by Boko Haram
but we repelled the attack. We don’t
have any report of missing soldiers so
far. As far as we’re concerned, the
operation is still ongoing. In fact, I spoke
with the OC (officer in charge) this
morning and all I can tell you is that our
troops are holding the ground,” he said.
On the gains made over the disintegrated
Boko Haram, the theater commander
said desperate Boko Haram terrorists
who may have obviously run out food
supply had resorted to sending their
families to IDP camps where they could
easily be fed, while some of them would
later join them under the guise of being
displaced persons.
“Desperate Boko Haram men are now
pushing their families to the IDPs camps
in Maiduguri and subsequently attempt to
enter the city through various means;
some of them have been arrested while
attempting to enter the state capital.
This is because the insurgents’ logistics
including foods supplies and fuel have
been degraded.”
He said that, in the last one month, the
army had made several arrests including
the mastermind of the ambush on the
Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur
Buratai, in mid-September when the army
chief was going towards Gamboru.
“He has been arrested in Matari village in
Yobe State,” he said.
General Yushau, who also revealed that
another Boko Haram suspect, John
Trankil, was arrested on November 14 at
Kasuwar Shanu in Maiduguri by the
troops of the Garrison Command, is a
Chadian. He said the suspect entered
the city through Njimtilo axis with a
vehicle laden with improvised explosive
devices.
Source:
leadership.ng/news/476350/no-soldier-is-missing-army

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