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Boko Haram kills Emir of Gwoza, kidnaps others
The Punch on MAY 31, 2014
Some members of the Boko Haram sect on Friday ambushed three emirs on the Biu–Azare-Garkida Road in Borno State.
The victims are the Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji Idrisa Timta; and his counterpart from Askira, Alhaji Abdullahi Askirama, and the Emir of Uba, Alhaji Ismaila Manza.
A security source said that Timta was killed by the attackers while Askirama and Manza were missing.
But the Defence Headquarters said Askirama and Manza were rescued by security personnel deployed in Garkida.
It was learnt that the emirs were on their way to Gombe to attend the burial of the late Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Shehu Abubakar, when they were attacked by the terrorists.
The source said the security details of the three emirs were also missing.
It was not clear whether the escorts were abducted or killed by the attackers.
However, the Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, confirmed that the Emir of Gwoza died in the attack while security personnel deployed in Garkida rescued the emirs of Askira and Uba.
Olukolade, in a text message, said, “A band of terrorists attacked the emirs of Gwoza, Uba and Askira who were travelling to Gombe for the funeral of the late Emir of Gombe.
“Troops deployed in Garkida responded to the attack. The emirs of Uba and Askira were rescued, while the body of Emir of Gwoza, who died in the attack, has been recovered. Any other detail later please.”
A senior Borno State Government official, who did not want his name in print, said, “Government has been alerted about the sad development.”
A Gwoza resident, Ishaiku Ibrahim, told Reuters that the community had been thrown into sad mood over the incident.
He said, “I arrived in Maiduguri on Thursday and wanted to go back to Gwoza on Friday but my niece called and told me that the town was in sad mood because our emir was kidnapped.”
The emir of Askira and his Uba counterpart were travelling before they were ambushed by the gunmen and kidnapped.
A security source, who did not want his named mentioned, said the royal fathers were attacked by armed youths in Toyota Hillux vans and motorcycles.
The source said, “The security details attached to the monarchs exchanged fire with the gunmen for several minutes before the policemen were overpowered and the emirs bundled into a waiting vehicle and driven to unknown destination.
“Thirty minutes after the abduction, the Emir of Uba escaped and re-appeared to join us on the road while waiting for Emir of Gwoza.
“We waited for another two hours, but there was no sign of his being released. We, therefore, presumed that he must have been killed by the insurgents.”
The Secretary to Borno State Government, Ambassador Baba Ahmed Jidda, confirmed the killing of Gwoza’s monarch in a statement on Friday.
The statement read, “The Borno State Government regrets to announce the unfortunate murder of His Royal Highness, the Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji Idrissa Timta.
“The emir was killed around 9am today following a bloody attack by some gunmen believed to be members of the Boko Haram along Tashan Alade on the way to Biu town, headquarters of Biu Local Government Area in Southern Borno State.
“The late emir was in company of the Emir of Askira, Alhaji Abdullahi Ibn Muhammadu Askirama and Emir of Uba, Alhaji Ali Ibn Ismaila Mamza, all of whom drove in the same vehicle as they headed to Biu to pick the Emir of Biu so they could all drive in convoy to Gombe State to attend the funeral of the late Emir of Gombe who is scheduled for burial in Gombe today (Friday).”
“The late Emir of Gwoza had visited his counterpart, the Emir of Uba yesterday and passed the night in Uba ahead of their planned trip today. The two emirs were, this morning, joined by the Emir of Askira. The three drove in the same vehicle with the intention of going to Biu to be joined by their counterpart in Biu.
“Unfortunately as they were driving in convoy to Biu, they were ambushed by gunmen around Tashan Alade, soon after passing Garkida. The gunmen came after the convoy, specifically targeted the vehicle conveying the three emirs and opened fire. The Emir of Gwoza was unfortunately killed by the attackers while the emirs of Askira and Uba escaped unhurt. A policeman in the convoy was shot by the attackers, but he survived the attack.”
The government described the late emir as “a great man who worked hard to promote peace and progress of Gwoza.”
The late Timta was born in 1942 and attended Muslim Elementary School, Gwoza, in 1948 and Senior Primary School Bama between 1952 and 1960.
He attended the then Provincial Secondary School now Government College, Maiduguri, between 1960 and 1964.
The late emir, after working briefly as a teacher in Gwoza, proceeded to the Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, to study Sharia Law in 1968.
The deceased worked with the then North–East judiciary in various capacities as an Inspector of Area Courts and rose to the rank of Principal Inspector of Area Courts before his appointment as the 3rd Chief of Gwoza in October, 1981.
Timta was elevated to a Second Class Emir in 1987 and due to his hard work, the Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, elevated him to a First Class Emir in January, this year.
The late emir is survived by four wives, 28 children and many brothers and sisters.
Meanwhile, the Emir of Askira said that he narrowly escaped being killed by the terrorists.
The emir, who is a member of the ongoing National Conference, stated this in a text message to the Deputy Chairman of the conference, Prof. Bolaji Akinyemi.
The Assistant Secretary in charge of Media and Publicity of the conference, Mr. Akpandem James, said in Abuja that delegates expressed delight that the emir escaped the attack.
James said, “In response to a text message sent to him by the Deputy Chairman of the conference, Prof. Akinyemi, the emir, who was taking a deep breath after the miraculous escape, said, “My deputy Chairman, I’m most grateful, it was a narrow escape.”
“Akinyemi, in a solidarity message to the emir, said, ‘Your Royal Majesty, on behalf of the national conference, please accept our heartfelt relief at the failure of the attack on your convoy. We thank Allah for your safety.’”
Kidnapped schoolgirls: Nigeria extends search to Cameroon, Chad borders
The Punch on 20 April, 2014
The Nigerian military has begun a deployment of soldiers along the country’s northern borders as part of efforts to rescue schoolgirls who were kidnapped by the Boko Haram sect on Monday night, SUNDAY PUNCH authoritatively reports
No fewer than 129 girls were kidnapped from Government Girls Secondary school, Chibok, Borno State.
A day after the attack, 14 of the girls escaped when one of the lorries in which they were being conveyed broke down. On Friday, another 14 escaped from their abductors, close to a Cameroon border, leaving 85 in the custody of the sect.
The principal of the school, Mrs. Asabe Kwambura, reportedly said members of the sect were dressed in military uniforms.
The Defence Headquarters had on Wednesday said the military had rescued 107 girls of the abducted pupils.
But on Thursday, Kwambura faulted the claim of the Defence Headquarters that 107 girls had been rescued.
Kwambura, had, in an interview with the BBC Hausa Service, said apart from the 14 pupils that escaped from the sect, she was not aware of any that had been released.
She had described the statement of the military as “a blatant lie.”
The Defence Headquarters later on Wednesday night retracted its statement on the release of the 107 schoolgirls.
In a statement by the Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, the military authorities said, “In the light of the denial by the principal of the school, the Defence Headquarters wishes to defer to the school principal and the governor’s statement on the number of students still missing.”
SUNDAY PUNCH learnt on Friday that the troops were deployed in the borders with Niger, Chad and Cameroon, with the largest concentration along the Cameroonian area.
A top military source who pleaded anonymity told our correspondent that the military was concentrating on the borders because members of the sect might want to sneak the schoolgirls out of Nigeria.
The source said, “There has been a large movement of troops along Nigerian borders. Soldiers are being conveyed in buses as part of efforts to rescue the girls.
“The information we have is that the kidnappers are still within Nigeria, especially within the Sambisa terrain, hence the deployment of more troops at borders to prevent their escape to neighbouring countries.”
When our correspondent contacted Olukolade, he confirmed the deployment, adding that soldiers were still in pursuit of those holding the schoolgirls.
‘The deployment is part of the entire operation; it is part of the general operation there. Soldiers are still in pursuit of those who are holding them,” he said
He declined to make further comments.
Our correspondent further learnt that when the girls were abducted, the sect ambushed security forces that were chasing them, killing a soldier in the process.
Another top security source told SUNDAY PUNCH that the sect might have divided the girls into different groups and separated them to make it impossible to get all the girls in one place.
He said, “The soldiers that were going to intervene were ambushed on the way. One soldier died in the ambush; soldiers fought through the ambush and continued their movement but they were delayed. The planners were meticulous; they planned for intervention.
“We have an intelligence report that it might be difficult to retrieve all the girls in one group; they (the sect) have divided the girls into small groups, which will make it difficult to get them all in one spot.”
One of the girls who escaped was said to have disclosed that the sect members did not harass them sexually.
The security source, who confided in our correspondent, quoted the girl to have said, “They didn’t mess us up, but they (the sect members) told us to cook food for them. We also have a report that they have not reached their destination.”
The Special Adviser to President Goodluck Jonathan on Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, declined commenting on the Federal Government’s rescue mission for the kidnapped girls. He said it was a matter for security agencies to comment on.
Scores killed as soldiers attack Fulani herdsmen in Nasarawa
The Punch on 04 April, 2014
Scores of people were on Thursday killed in a Fulani settlement near Keana, in Keana Local Government Area of Nasarawa State in a gun duel between soldiers and suspected Fulani cattle breeders.
Many were also said to have been wounded during the incident which occurred barely 24 hours after the military deployed troops in Benue and Nasarawa states to curtail the rising attacks on communities by cattle rustlers.
It was learnt that the soldiers allegedly attacked the herdsmen at a funeral.
Although the military, said it had no details of the killings as of 5pm on Thursday, Channels Televison put the toll at 20.
The Defence spokesman, Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, according to Channels, promised an investigation of the incident to ascertain if those who carried out the attack were indeed soldiers.
Other unconfirmed reports however said the number of the dead who were mostly residents of the area was above 30. An unofficial source said that some bodies were taken to the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital, Lafia, in a police van while about 20 others were deposited at the mortuary of the General Hospital in Keana.
He added that the soldiers attacked the herdsmen following a tip-off about their hideouts in Tse-Azer and Maraba Giza area of the state.
The herdsmen were said to have forcibly occupied the communities on the grounds that they were their ancestral homes.
It was also learnt that the troops seized some sophisticated weapons from the cattle breeders who were caught unaware.
A resident of Keana, who said the soldiers arrived in Armored Personnel Carriers, added, “The military killed the cattle rustlers and were able to recover many weapons from them.
“This part of the state has received and seen strange Fulani faces more than any time in the history of our existence in Keana and its environs. We wonder where they came from because they are not the normal Fulani that we know.
“Most of them don’t even have cows and one continues to wonder what their work is in this state.”
Military battles Boko Haram in Sambisa forest
The Nation
The military has taken the battle against the Boko Haram insurgents to the sect’s base in the Sambisa forest in Borno State.
It also declared that the battle will soon be over because the sect members are “on the run”
Director, Defence Information (DDI), Maj.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, spoke in an interview in Maiduguri, when he accompanied Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen Kenneth Minimah and Chief of Air Staff Air Mashall Adesola Amosu, on a visit to the troops.
“The military is operating in the Sambisa forest, in hills and other forests around.
“The idea is to make sure that the insurgents do not have a camp where they can organise their crime like before.
“Unlike some months back, the insurgents are now on the run,’’ he said.
Gen. Olukolade said the attempted attack on Giwa Barracks, Maiduguri, by the insurgents was a sign of weakness.
“You will observe that they have stopped soft spot attacks for some time now.
“Most of the attacks now are daring, like the attempted barrack attacks, because they know that there time was up,’’ he said.
Gen. Olukolade said: “The visit is to assess the operation of troops on the ground. They have always visited to see things on ground,” he said, adding that “terrorism is like armed robbery, prostitution and other crimes, which have been on for a long time.
“These cannot be wiped out completely in the society, but you can bring them down to the lowest level where they cannot affect social and economic life.
“Our aim is to reduce terrorism to the lowest level where it will not be able to disrupt social and economic lives of the people.’’
Gen. Olukolade also faulted claims that some military commanders had failed to act on urgent information due to non-approval by their high command.
“It is not true that commanders will have to wait for permission before acting on urgent information on terrorist attacks or movements.
“Certainly, our operation does not require seeking permission from outside.
“Officers have some latitude to operate in such kind of situation.
“Each officer has been briefed on the rules of engagement in any operation; it is left for him to act immediately he receives information on terrorist attack or movement.
“If we receive complaint on officers refusing to act on urgent information, such officers will be reprimanded,’’ He said.
Cameroon will send 700 soldiers to its northeastern border as part of a regional force to tackle armed groups in an area Boko Haram operates, that country’s Defence Minister Edgard Alain Mebe Ngo’o said yesterday
At a two-day meeting in Cameroon’s capital Yaounde, defence ministers from the six-nation Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC) agreed to establish the multinational force to improve security in the zone.
The infiltration of Boko Haram militants into Cameroon’s Far-North region, which they use as a launch pad for attacks in Nigeria, has led to mounting insecurity there. Rebels are believed to be hiding among an influx of refugees from Nigeria.
Ngo’o said details of the multinational force would be established at a summit in Niger’s capital Niamey this year.
“Cameroon has decided to provide a contingent of 700 soldiers for this unit of the LCBC,” Ngo’o said. “But we believe each country should keep its troops within its own borders.”
Sanusi Imran Abdullahi, LCBC executive secretary, had requested that member countries quickly put in place a multinational force to reimpose order in the region.
A Cameroon soldier was killed by suspected Boko Haram militants in Fotokol in the Far-North region, close to the border with Nigeria, last month.
As well as the threat from Boko Haram, the area has become a crossroads for weapons trafficking to Nigeria, Sudan and Central African Republic. Cameroon’s military detained a man attempting to transport 655 guns to Nigeria in January.
The LCBC was created in 1964 by the four countries bordering Lake Chad – Cameroon, Chad, Niger and Nigeria – and was later joined by Central African Republic and Libya, according to its website.
The Catholic diocese of Maiduguri consisting of three NorteEastern states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe has said that 109 members of the Church were killed by the insurgents in different attacks. It declared that 27 women lost their husbands while 107 children were orphaned.
The Church spoke yesterday at a news conference at the Saint Augustine’s Minor Seminary, Yola.
The Director Social Communications Directorate of the Church, Rev. Fr. Gideon Obasagie, who lamented the persecution said unless the Federal Government took drastic measures to save Christians living in the three states, Christians would be completely wiped out as the scale of violence being mated to them was unfathomable.
Speaking on the attack on his school in Chakawa by the sect, the Rector of St. Joseph’s Minor Seminary Rev. Father Alexander Miskita William recalled how the insurgents fired shots which aroused the suspicion.
“We were surprised to note that insurgents launched attack in the area because we know the military were deployed there.
“We were told that Boko Haram men were on the rampage as a result, we gathered the students as we have no alternative other than to move.
“So when we heard the chant of Allahu Akbar we immediately took the 240 students in the school to safety through the perimeter fence where they spent the night in the bush”.
He added that the attack was premeditated to kill the priest as the insurgents kept asking of him while the operation lasted.
“There was a cripple in the school who could not escape before the insurgents struck. When they met him, they asked him to take them to the priest but he told them that he was a stranger and did not know anybody. He said 90 pupils have been withdrawn by their parents.
The Parish Priest of Saint Peter’s Parish Pulka, Reverend Father James John said between Gwoza and Bama areas of Borno State, about 23 local Churches have been burnt as Christians were forced to leave the areas. He said 43 people lost their houses.
350 killed in Boko Haram, Army clash
No fewer than 350 people lost their lives on Friday as the orgy of bloodletting in some parts of the country continued with the clash between Boko Haram insurgents and the Special Forces in Maimalari, Maiduguri, Borno State. The insurgents had attacked the 21 Armoured Brigade of the Nigerian Army in the wee hours of Friday.
Saturday PUNCH learnt that the dead included insurgents who attacked the military formation and their members who were held at the biggest detention facility on the premises of the headquarters of the Brigade.
It was gathered that the insurgents targeted the detention facility within the 21 Armoury Brigade where most of the hardened members of the sect were detained.
The military authorities were said to have received an intelligence report of an impending attack on the barracks and prepared for the insurgents.
It was learnt that the insurgents attempted to divert the attention of the military by carrying out the attack in military uniforms and vehicles painted in military colours.
The huge casualty figure was revealed amid fresh facts on why the insurgents were able to advance near the detention camp with ease. It was learnt that the insurgents’ advancement could not be immediately halted because the Shilka tank, a multipurpose self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery weapon positioned to secure the barracks, failed to fire.
An authoritative security source who pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on behalf of the Special Forces, told Saturday PUNCH that the Shilka tank refused to respond to signal. This situation, he said, prompted the Special Forces to fight hard to prevent what would have been a tragic outing.
It was learnt that the tank had earlier been well -positioned to secure the portion of the barracks where the insurgents had penetrated. The source said if the gun had responded to touch, the soldiers would have found it easier to repel the attack of the insurgents without any damage.
It was learnt that the soldiers abandoned the disappointing artillery tank and relied on other weapons to ward off the insurgents’ attack.
The source said that the military was already looking into the reason behind the disappointment of the crucial weapon.
It was learnt that security operatives who were investigating the Shilka tank failure were considering two possibilities-the age of the old artillery weapon and the possibility of sabotage .
“You know that when these people came, the Shilka gun simply did not fire. It disappointed, so the soldiers had to rely on other weapons to defend the barracks.
“The gun was positioned to defend that part of the barracks where the insurgents came from. If that gun had fired, they wouldn’t have got into the barracks near the detention facility.’’
Saturday PUNCH learnt that the insurgents stormed the strategic army formation from a place called Pori, near a tomato farm close to the barracks, with some Armoured Personnel Carriers, as early as 6.30am.
A security source, who spoke to our correspondent on the condition of anonymity, said that the insurgents fought their way into the detention facility at the barracks where they attempted to free some of their members being held.
The source said that at the end of the confrontation, the soldiers recovered a Buffalo Truck and an Armoured Personnel Carrier from the insurgents.
Although the soldiers prevented the barracks from being burnt by the invading Boko Haram fighters, it was said that the insurgents burnt the MRS, (the traditional medical facility within the barracks) and the detention facility.
A security source, who spoke to one of our correspondents on the condition of anonymity, said that 53 of the insurgents were killed in action at the barracks while 297 were killed in a joint operation by the Air Force and the ground forces engrossed in chasing the fleeing insurgents.
The source further said that four children of a soldier were among those killed.
The leader of a volunteer youth vigilante group who assisted the military in repelling the attack, Abdullahi Dere, said not less than 207 suspected Boko Haram terrorists were killed.
Dere, who is the chairman of Sector 5 of the local vigilante group, popularly referred to as “Civilian JTF” in Jidari Polo near the Giwa Barracks, said several insurgents fled the town for their hideouts with injuries.
He said: “We counted 207 dead bodies of Boko Haram members shot dead by the military in Jidari Polo area alone. The suspected Boko Haram members had attacked Giwa Barracks and freed some of the detainees but the military were able to go after them and killed them. As we speak, the dead bodies of the terrorists are still within our area unattended to.”
He added: “We were also able to capture some fleeing Boko Haram suspects and handed them over to the military.”
Confirming the casualties figure given by Dere, the Vice- Chairman of the vigilante -group in the area, Tijjani Bello, said apart from 207 killed close to the barracks, many more were killed in different parts of the city.
He said, “Many Boko Haram members were also killed apart from the ones killed in Jidari Polo. But we only fear that some innocent residents may be among those killed.”
Another eyewitness told one of our correspondents that he counted 60 bodies that were dumped in a heap at the headquarters of the Brigade. It was learnt that the ground forces and the men of the Air Force were still in hot pursuit of the fleeing insurgents as of the time of filing this report.
The source said that the military operation was designed to ensure that the fleeing insurgents were prevented from getting out of Maiduguri into their safe havens in the vast Sambisa forests.
It was further gathered that a good number of the insurgents were killed en masse in a plantation not too far from the Brigade on Friday afternoon.
The source said that the insurgents were attempting to hide and to regroup in the plantation when they were stormed by security forces, which spotted them from a hilly location. “Several of them were also killed this afternoon in a plantation where they wanted to take cover; they were hiding there without knowing that security forces were watching them. All of them who were found in that location were killed and their arms and ammunition recovered.
A source said that about 60 bodies of dead insurgents were dumped at the gate of the Brigade barracks in Maimalari by 5.30 pm on Friday.
It was further learnt that the insurgents inflicted some gunshot wounds on some soldiers and barracks boys during the attacks. The injured were said to have been taken to a hospital as of the time of filing this report.
Saturday PUNCH further learnt that 10 Air Force fighter jets were deployed to provide the requisite air support for ground forces who engaged the insurgents for close to three hours.
Investigation revealed that a third year student of Mass Communication was hit by a stray bullet at the University of Maiduguri.
The Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, said in an electronic mail on Friday that the attack was an attempt by the insurgents to free their detained members in order to boost the number of their depleted fighters.
Olukolade said that the Special Forces foiled the attack with heavy casualties on the side of the insurgents.
He said that the victims of the terrorist attacks included some of the detained terror suspects. He said that the Special Forces also captured many of the terrorists and their arms and ammunition.
He added that four soldiers who sustained gunshot wounds were being treated.
He said, “Pockets of terrorists apparently in a move to boost their depleted stock of fighters this morning attacked a military location in Maiduguri with a view to freeing their colleagues who are being held in detention.
“The attack has been successfully repelled with heavy human casualties on the terrorists. Some of the victims of the terrorists fired in their efforts to break into the detention facility included those they came to rescue.
“Many of the terrorists and their weapons have been captured. Four soldiers were wounded and are being treated.
“Hot pursuits by land and air operations are ongoing along with cordon and search of surrounding localities.
“No institution has been reportedly attacked, although the effect of firing from the encounter could be noticed in surrounding facilities in Maiduguri.”
He said that the attack was a reaction to the intensity of military attacks on terrorist ‘strongholds at Talala, Monguzum, Sambisa forests, Gwoza, Mandara mountains as well as the general area of Lake Chad which were destroyed and where many of the insurgents were killed.
Meanwhile, the Senate President, David Mark, on Friday lamented fresh attacks of Boko Haram insurgents on Maiduguri, and pleaded with the insurgents to end the hostilities.
Mark, who spoke against the fresh onslaught of the insurgents on Maiduguri on Friday, reminded them that violence or crime anywhere in the World could not produce good result.
The senate president in a statement in Abuja by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Paul Mumeh, said “no matter the amount of anger in a man’s mind, resorting to violence or killing another cannot be a solution.”
He said, “There are many channels of communication to dialogue. We can still come to a dialogue table and resolve our differences.
“The spate of attacks and killings across Nigeria is becoming intolerable and indeed unbearable. The situation is degenerating. We cannot pretend not to know that the nation is endangered. We must all speak out with one voice against this growing terrorism.
“For whatever reason, let wise counsel prevail. We are not at war with each other. Nigerians and indeed Africans are known to be their brothers’ keepers.
“This time-tested position should not be compromised. Let’s respect human life. It is not too late to reverse this ugly situation especially in Borno, Yobe, Adamawa, Katsina and Benue states.”
He, however, implored the security operatives across the country to remain vigilant and be determined to protect lives and property even as he urged citizens to cooperate with them.
Meanwhile, the Senate President has sent a message of condolence to the Igbo apex socio- cultural organisation, Ohanaeze Ndigbo, on the demise of its former President, Ambassador Ralph Uweche.
Mark described Uweche as an ambassador par excellence and a bridge builder who worked for the peace and unity of Nigeria. He said Uweche left a positive footprint on the sand of time.
He said, “We shall miss his frank and honest disposition especially on national issues. He was a great patriot who believed in the unity and indivisibility of Nigeria.”
Soldiers attack B’Haram camp, seize 700 vehicles
The Special Forces involved in the ongoing campaign against the Boko Haram insurgents have recorded what security sources have described as one the greatest breakthroughs in the campaign against terrorists in the North-East.
Investigations on Tuesday revealed that the Special Forces, comprising ground troops and the Air Force fighters, had demobilized one of the strongest fortresses of the Boko Haram sect.
It was learnt that the soldiers, who carried out the operation, were shocked by the volume of arms and ammunition and hundreds of operational vehicles that they captured at the camp.
A source put the number of vehicles captured from the insurgents at 700 while several members of the sect were arrested.
The spokesman of the 7th Division, Col. Mohammed Dole, referred our correspondent to the Director of Defence Information, Maj.-Gen Chris Olukolade, for comments on the issue.
Olukolade, who confirmed the capture of the Boko Haram camp, said that several terrorists who were wounded in the military raids were arrested and had made useful confessions.
The Director of Defence Information said in an electronic mail on Tuesday that some of the wounded terrorists who were captured near Lake Chad were pleading for mercy and were cooperating with interrogators from the Multi-National Joint Task Force.
Olukolade said that some of the insurgents were captured by troops around Dikwa, Cross Kauwa, Kukawa and Alargarmo.
He said that the captives revealed during interrogation that some of the camps were disbanded as the sect could no longer sustain the operation.
“In their confessions, it was revealed that some of the camps have been disbanded following the directive of their clerics who declared that the operation of the sect had come to an end as the mission could no longer be sustained.
“The captured terrorists, who are giving useful information as to the locations of their remnant forces, are full of apologies and pleas for their lives to be spared promising to cooperate,” the statement reads in part.
Olukolade said that the captured insurgents complained of starvation and the frequency of bombardments as some of the major problems which affected them.
The Defence spokesman warned members of the public to stay away from the area, saying troops were still continuing with the operation in the three states.
“They confirmed that starvation was a major problem in addition to ceaseless bombardments on the camp locations even when they kept relocating. They also confirm that several members of the group have been wounded and no treatment was forthcoming. Troops have continued their assault on other locations across the states covered by the state of emergency.
“Meanwhile, members of the public who have started visiting to engage in sight-seeing in some dislodged camps and fringes of forests such as Sambisa and others have been warned to desist from doing so as the tendency will no more be condoned where operations are still ongoing.
“The general area still remains a theatre and movement remains restricted as the environment has to be cleared for safety of citizens. The public will be informed when the locations are safe enough.”
It was learnt that the seized vehicles included those that the insurgents used for attacks and other vehicles they snatched from people.
Military sources said that the camp was well planned with boreholes, dispensary and other facilities to aid the operations of the insurgents.
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