An estimated 700 soldiers are missing with more than 2,000 trapped following a Boko Haram attack on Thursday that culminated in the loss of Baga, a town in Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State, by the Nigerian Army.

A faction of the insurgents loyal to Abu Musab al-Barnawi attacked Baga, lying northeast of Kukawa, and succeeded in dislodging the soldiers and hoisting their flags.

According to an aid worker who spoke with SaharaReporters, “a large number of soldiers are still missing and many others are trapped.”

“Boko haram has taken over Baga town,” said the source. “More than 2,000 troops are there trapped, and 700 are missing. [Air Force] jets cannot do anything now because the soldiers are trapped in their midst”.

SaharaReporters could not independently verify the figures being mentioned, but a security source said it was "highly possible", considering Baga is the headquarters of the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) — a formation comprising units, mostly military, from Benin, Cameroon, Chad, Niger, and Nigeria, and boasting between 7,500 and 10,000 personnel.

A security source confirmed the attack and the disappearance of “a high number of soldiers”.

“So many soldiers, likely in their hundreds, are missing,” he said. “Even the Baga Brigade Commander is back in Maiduguri, which means he must have escaped when he saw that his team was overwhelmed.”

The source also confirmed that the insurgents set the MNJTF headquarters ablaze, and made away with military equipment.

The Army, though, continues to deny that the town has been overrun by insurgents.

In a statement released on Friday, Sani Usman, Director of Army Public Relations, said the sidurgents were the ones fleeing.

“Please recall that yesterday, Wednesday 26th December 2018 suspected Boko Haram terrorists attacked the headquarters of 7 Brigade Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF), Baga, Borno State, at about 7.00pm,” he said in a statement.

“The troops along with their Nigerian Navy counterparts put up a very determined fight to repel the attack throughout the night, while Sector 3 Operation LAFIYA DOLE sent in reinforcement who are in hot pursuit of the terrorists. Similarly, a Search and Rescue team has been constituted.

“The Nigerian Air Force component has also been mobilised and are engaging the fleeing terrorists. Unfortunately, a naval personnel was killed in action. So far, no further details of casualties yet as efforts are ongoing to clear the terrorists hiding in Baga and environs.”

http://saharareporters.com/2018/12/28/exclusive-%E2%80%98about-700-soldiers-missing-more-2000-trapped%E2%80%99-boko-haram-takes-over-baga

How did BHT get to the stage of rounding up over 2000 of our troops like chickens? The dullard must resign now. There might be no Nigeria by 2019 when the dolt is eventually voted out.

we have to keep up the fight, they are paid to do this, they signed up for it, if you dont want to be in such situations, dont fill the form, simple


those miscreants from the yeast will soon come and blame buhari for this

u mean bagger
.
.
on a serious note;
if not for these ashawo joints threads on nairaland, i would have raped so many people

May God Help us
Pray for our soldiers They need our prayers

The resurgence of boko haram came about when a certain sahelian dullard decided to not only release hundreds of captured terrorists, but also arm them in tranches of millions of euros. Before the 2015 elections, Boko haram was severly degraded.

One must begin to question the motive of Buhari and his plans against/for Boko haram.

Can it in all conscientious rationality be wise to trust a man who famously declared that " the fight against boko haram is a fight against the North"?

What on earth have some Nigerians gotten us into? Introduce a wolf to the coop?

Buhari's antecedents as a career coupist (he was involved in three coups) who went as far as to topple a democratically elected government depicts a man who will not shy away from violence if it actualizes his aims.

I want to volunteer for this deployment.
Is the army accepting volunteers?

Fake news from pit of hell. How many solders make a brigade.

Be like i go run leave this my Monguno Job oh

Boko Haram bagarised NA

There are moles in the army serving as informants! This war is going to be a very difficult one!
Bubu needs to go as a matter of urgency!

And they are planing their foolish python dance nation wide when they can not even dance ordinary shaku shaku with bono haram

meanwhile the command in chief is somewhere Galivanting in Akwa Ibom.

Any Nigerian that votes APC next year would have himself to blame.

We have defeated Boko Haram technically...so what is happening now

Dominate Google page one with your business and start getting clients check my profile

God

And bubu is chilling in akwa ibom
But d news get as e be o..... A whole 700 men go just miss.

can Aticulated someone please spell Buhari for us

Nigeria is walking on d edge of an nonredeemable collapse and nobody seems to care much...why is it that these killings intensifies when election is near...same thing happened towards d last election...how can people be using people's lives to play political game

Isoright

Not fake news o. It's on Al Jazeera.

muykem:
Fake news from pit of hell. How many solders make a brigade.

of course it would be fake news to you.

and Mr integrity said Boko Haram have been technically defeated OH sorry Degraded I meant to say

Fake News jor.

Sai buhari. Wetin concern me. ?

Meanwhile Bubu is campaigning seriously for re-election. I wonder if this man wants to govern Boko Haram members


Back to Daura

BUHARI and all his supporters are useless.


Thunder with electric shock strike them all to DEATH.


Bastard set of people.

T