The Nigerian army on Saturday said Boko Haram militants attacked troops
camped in Sambisa forest, Borno state, while troops were refitting in the
camp.
Army spokesman Colonel Sani Usman said troops of 21 Brigade and Armed
Forces Special Forces (AFSF) on Operation Crackdown inside Sambisa forest
while on harbour for refitting came under Boko Haram militants attack at
about 1.45am today.
However, Usman said the troops successfully repelled the attack followed
up with mopping up operations of the general area before advancing.
Nigerian soldiers also recovered two corpses of the attackers, two AK-47
rifles, two Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) bombs, five rifle magazines,
mortar bombs and belts of Machine Gun rounds.
Usman said: “Unfortunately 5 soldiers were wounded in action (WIA), as a
result of mortar fired into the harbour area by the Boko Haram terrorists.
The wounded soldiers have been evacuated to the rear for treatment.”
In another statement, Usman said troops also arrested a wanted Boko Haram
militant’s leader deep inside Sambisa forest.
He said troops arrested one of the declared wanted Boko Haram leaders, and
also conducted patrols and clearance operations within the theatre of
operations.
”At about 1.35pm on Friday troops of 143 Battalion arrested one Sulaiman
Umaru, a suspected Boko Haram group member whose photograph is on the
poster containing the photographs of the 100 Boko Haram member declared
wanted.
Usman said Umaru has since been moved to 28 Task Force Brigade
Headquarters for further investigation.
He said some elements of 112 Task Force Battalion conducted a fighting
patrol along Dikwa-Gulumba Gana road, and engaged in a fierce fire fight
with some Boko Haram members during which the troops killed quite a number
of the Boko Haram members.
He added that the team ran into an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at
Antul, a village south east of Dikwa, in which 7 soldiers and 4 Civilian
JTF accompanying them sustained injuries.
He said the injured soldiers and their civilian counterparts have been
evacuated to 7 Division Hospital and Medical Services Maiduguri.
The army spokesman said the patrol team had earlier intercepted 31
Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), including women and children coming
from Sunabaya, Gumule, Garno and Mane-Gana villages.
During preliminary investigations along with the vigilantes, one of the
IDPs, Abacha Bulama, a native of Mane-Gana village, was found to be in
possession of the sum of One Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Naira
(N1,900,000.).
Although he claimed to be a businessman, his possession of such large
amount of money arose suspicion.
While Bulama has been detained for further investigation, other IDPs have
been handed over to Dikwa IDP Camp Manager for screening and further
humanitarian assistance.
He added that on their part, troops of 254 Task Force Battalion, 25 Task
Force Brigade have moved to Ngalimeri and shelled Boko Haram terrorists
hideouts at Budumairi, Goneri Baleni, Mallam Maitari, Malemiri and
Gombori.
Although there were no signs of Boko Haram insurgents in the area as they
have all fled, however, 35 persons were rescued, screened and are being
rehabilitated at Damboa IDP camp. The troops also arrested two suspected
Boko Haram members with dane guns.
Usman further said troops of 192 Battalion, 26 Task Force Brigade also
carried out clearance operations at Guduf Buba, Yagwa, Gamude, Kwatara
Kasa and Kwatara Tsakiya villages.