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Six-month old baby among victims
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Zulum to military after attack: Wake up
Seven soldiers, among whom were two commissioned officers, lay dead Friday night in the latest attack by the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) in Borno State.
Three other soldiers were injured in the Kala Balge attack which also left scores of the insurgents dead or critically wounded.
The foiled invasion came three weeks after the death of Brigadier General, Dzarma Zirkusu, and three other army officers in an ISWAP attack on Askira Uba Local Government Area of the state.
Governor Babagana Zulum,on an assessment of the scene of the attack yesterday charged the military to wake up following the recent spate of insurgency in the state.
The terrorists also lobbed several mortar bombs into Maiduguri yesterday following an all- night shooting apparently to intimidate residents.
The bombs injured a six-month old baby and damaged a part of the 1,000 housing estate and Ngomari Airport Road in the state capital .
It was gathered that the terrorists sought to come into town through Duwari village only for their efforts to hit the rocks.
The identities of the seven fallen soldiers were yet to be ascertained at press time but the army authorities confirmed the Friday night attack.
Troops of Sector 1 Joint Task Force (JTF) North East (NE), Operation HADIN KAI (OPHK),according to the Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Onyema Nwachukwu, neutralized scores of Boko Haram (BH) and Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists who infiltrated Kala Balge town mounted on gun trucks and motorcycles on Friday, 3 December 2021.
The insurgents, he said, were gallantly engaged by “troops deployed at the Forward Operational Base (FOB) Rann, a border town between Nigeria and Cameroon,” forcing them to abandon their mission and withdrew in disarray.
He added:”In the fierce battle for Kala Balge, troops defended the town and neutralized 26 BH/ISWAP terrorists. The gallant troops also captured terrorists’ combat vehicles, 18 AK 47 rifles and one M-21 rifle with large quantity of ammunition. Several other equipment were also destroyed by troops.
“Regrettably, two officers and five soldiers paid the supreme price, while three personnel who sustained gun-shot wounds are currently receiving medical attention.
“The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lieutenant General Faruk Yahaya, has paid tribute to the departed heroes, who paid the supreme price in defending their fatherland. He has also commended troops for their gallantry in the North East, especially with the recent successes recorded in Gajiram and the Tumbus.”
Insurgents of ISWAP had three weeks ago in a similar attack killed Brigadier General Dzarma Zirkusu and three soldiers in Askira Uba Local Government Area of the state.
The army authorities said the fallen soldiers “paid the supreme sacrifice in a very rare display of gallantry as they provided reinforcement in a counter offensive against the terrorists, and successfully defended the location.”
Six month old baby injured as insurgents lob mortar bombs into Maiduguri
The Borno State Police Command confirmed yesterday that a six -month-old baby was injured when ISWAP terrorists fired five mortar bombs into Maiduguri earlier in the day.
Police Commissioner, Abdul Umar, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the terrorists fired the bombs from the outskirt of Ngomari Old Airport, behind Borno State University.
He said that the mortars landed in different locations within the city causing minor damages.
The CP said the first bomb landed inside a house belonging to one Ibrahim Abba-Fori, burning down a Honda Civic car while another destroyed a room in Alhaji Bukar Modu-Kullima house and injured the six-month-old baby, Fatima Alhaji-Bukar.
“Another one landed at Gambari Njimtilo Ward near the house of Ahmed Yahaya, where the fence of the house was destroyed,” Umar said.
“The last explosive landed in a farm at Shuwarin Atom Village.”
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Umar explained that the six-month-old victim was treated for minor injuries at the Umaru Shehu Ultra-Modern Hospital and discharged.
No life was lost in the attack, the CP said, adding that more police and military personnel had been deployed to the outskirts of Maiduguri for monitoring and patrols.
He urged residents to be on alert and report any suspected activities that would be detrimental to peace while assuring them of the total readiness of security agencies to protect lives and properties in the state.
One of the bombs exploded less than 100 meters away from a holding camp for repentant Boko Haram members.
The military immediately cordoned off the estate.
An eye witness told PR Nigeria that he heard “the first explosion early in the morning and then the second one, then I came out to see where it was happening before the third one landed in our estate.
“I saw when it landed and I immediately laid on the ground. The moment it landed in the house, the whole place became dark with dust”, the witness said.
Maiduguri Airport not under terrorists attack, says FAAN
Reacting to speculations about the safety of the Maiduguri Airport following the bomb attack, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said no explosion was recorded at the facility.
It dismissed an online report that the airport was targeted during the attack.
Corporate Affairs General Manager of FAAN Henrietta Yakubu said: “With respect to an online report making the rounds that the Maiduguri airport was rocked by a bomb explosion purportedly masterminded by Boko Haram insurgents, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) hereby notifies passengers and the general public that there was neither explosion nor intrusion at the Maiduguri airport.
“The airport was not targeted, and is not under any attack whatsoever.”
Zulum during visit to attack scene asks military to wake up
Moments after the attack yesterday, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State , visited the 1,000 units housing estate to assess the situation.
He said he was setting up what he called “a small committee” to assess damage caused by the attack and advise the government on measures to avert a repeat.
Zulum, who had been praising the military in the last one year, was unhappy with the attack as well as the recent abductions.
“It is very sad and unfortunate that this kind of attack and others are happening at this time,” he said.
Continuing, he said: “ It seems the insurgents came very close to Maiduguri. Our military have to wake up and ensure adequate surveillance.
“This is something we should be able to avert. For the insurgents to have come so close to fire rockets, I think there is something wrong that we have to check.
“We have to fortify Maiduguri as we will continue to do around other cities and towns across the state. We have to ensure adequate patrols on a daily basis to avert future attacks.”
Zulum commiserated with all those affected and assured that the government would take measures to avert any future occurrence.