We killed 20 terrorists in Borno – Nigerian Soldiers

Troops of the Nigerian Armed Forces clashed on Wednesday with Boko Haram insurgents who attempted to launch fresh attacks on Mafa and Ajiri in Borno State.


Twenty of the insurgents were said to have been killed while some soldiers were injured during the encounters in the two communities.

The Director of Defence Information, Maj. Gen Chris Olukolade, made this known in an electronic statement on Thursday just as seven travellers were massacred by gunmen believed to be Boko Haram members at Wala ‘A,’ Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

Olukolade also said in his statement that different calibre of machine guns and improvised explosive devices were recovered from the terrorists.

He added that the troops succeeded in clearing an ambush with which the insurgents had intended to wreak havoc on the neighbouring communities.

Our correspondent learnt that some soldiers were on their way to confront the Boko Haram members at Mafa when they ran into the ambush around 8pm on Wednesday.

It was learnt that the soldiers retreated and later stormed the camps of the insurgents with reinforcement from the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri.

Olukolade said many camps in Borno and Adamawa states were destroyed in the encounters between the insurgents and the troops.

He said, “Attempts by terrorists to attack Ajiri and Mafa as well as other communities on the outskirts of Maiduguri and Dikwa in Borno State towards the Cameroon borders, yesterday(Wednesday) were foiled by the security forces.

“The ambush mounted by the terrorists to enable them to unleash terror on the communities unchallenged, was also cleared by troops on reinforcement mission.

“Arms captured from the terrorists include various brands of machine guns and improvised explosive devices.

“Twenty insurgents died in the encounter, while our troops sustained varying degree of injuries.

“Also, more camps were destroyed yesterday (Wednesday) in encounters at various forests and mountains in Adamawa and Borno states.”

Olukolade also said that the DHQ had observed with serious concern, remarks by highly placed persons in government and commentators on the ongoing campaign by the military to root out insurgents from the North-East.

Such people, according to him, have been creating the wrong impression about the state of troops in the ongoing operations.

He described as “unfortunate,” the plot by such people to demoralise the troops with a view to creating the impression that soldiers were being defeated by the insurgents.

Olukolade said, “The Defence Headquarters has noted with grave concern, the inflammatory pronouncements by some highly placed persons in government and some apparently sponsored commentators in and outside the country who have consistently given false and misleading remarks to describe the disposition of troops in the ongoing operations.

“It has become clear that this sustained campaign is intended to demoralise the troops and give the impression that the military is overwhelmed by the terrorist group. This tendency is unfortunate to say the least.”

He maintained that it was impossible for the military to be overwhelmed by insurgents, stressing that “the mischievous acts” of those supporting the sect would not dampen the morale of the troops.”

The DHQ spokesman urged Nigerians to ignore the propaganda of the insurgents and their backers.

Our correspondents also learnt on Thursday that six residents of Gadamayo, who were travelling to Maiduguri, and a patent medicine store owner in Gwoza were killed when they ran into insurgents at Wala ‘A’ in Gwoza LGA.

The killing of the seven travellers took place as the military announced the arrest of one of the Boko Haram’s vicious human butchers in Maiduguri.

The human butcher was said to be among those captured in Mainok and Maiduguri recently.

It was learnt that the human butcher, who specialises in killing with machetes, confessed during interrogation by the Special Forces that he had killed many people.

Olukolade confirmed his arrest in a telephone interview with one of our correspondents on Thursday.

An LGA Transport vehicle with the inscription ‘Dikwa’ was also attacked by insurgents in Mafa on Thursday.

It was learnt that the occupants of the bus were lucky to have escaped with different degree of bullet wounds.

An eyewitness said, “They fired at the bus from their hideout. Although nobody died in the attack, some people were injured. Soldiers who saw them quickly rushed them to a nearby hospital.”

Meanwhile, the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, has called for legal backing for the military.

Badeh made the call when House of Representatives members from Adamawa State led by Mr. Anthony Madwatte visited him in A buja on Thursday.

He said that the military would do everything possible to end the Boko Haram insurgency in the North-East.

Badeh said, “What I can guarantee you is that we will do our best but we solicit your assistance to ensure that this war is over.

“We look forward to your protection and you must give us the legal backing for us to do our job.

“ If you want your son to succeed, then you must assist him. If your son succeeds, it is the armed forces that have succeeded.”

Badeh thanked the lawmakers for the support the National Assembly had been giving the armed forces.

“We in the military are not custodians of democracy but we are defenders of democracy; we are to ensure that democracy thrives,‘’ the CDS added.

Earlier, Madwatte had said they were in the DHQ to congratulate him on his appointment as the CDS.

Also on Thursday, the Federal Government said that terrorists deserved no pity from the international community.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Aminu Wali, stated this in Abuja while responding to a delegation from Denmark led by a member of parliament, Mrs. Gjerskov Mette.

He said, “As far as security issue is concerned, Nigeria is very concerned not only in the region but internationally.

“When you see a situation where Boko Haram, a group of rogues will move into a school and slaughter children, I don’t think any one in this world will insist on implementing human rights. I will certainly go against that.”