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Tag: Col. Onyema Nwachukwu

  • Troops kill three Boko Haram insurgents in Borno

    Troops kill three Boko Haram insurgents in Borno

    The Nigerian Army said on Saturday that its troops killed three Boko Haram insurgents at Gajibo village in Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State.

    The Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, Theatre Command, Operation Lafiya Dole, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, disclosed this in a statement issued in Maiduguri.

    Nwachukwu said the troops killed the three insurgents, when a group of terrorists attempted to attack Gajibo community on Thursday.

    He disclosed that the insurgents, who launched the attack on the village in a Military Personnel Carrier and gun trucks, were repelled by the troops.

    “Troops of the 22 Brigade deployed in Operation Lafiya Dole on Thursday evening killed three Boko Haram insurgents in an encounter that ensued when a group of insurgents attempted an attack on Gajibo community in the fringes of Dikwa Local Government Area of Borno State.

    “The insurgents armed with Armoured Personnel Carrier and gun trucks met with fierce resistance from the troops, who successfully defended Gajibo village after routing the insurgents. Troops also recovered three AK 47 rifles from the insurgents.

    “Currently, troops are further exploiting the success of the counter offensive and are still in pursuit of the insurgents,” he said

    The deputy director said the troops fought gallantly to defend the town and push back the attackers.

  • ISIS didn’t kill 30 soldiers in North East – Army

    ISIS didn’t kill 30 soldiers in North East – Army

    The Nigerian Army on Tuesday dismissed as “falsehood” the reported killing of 30 troops by Islamic State (ISIS) in the North East.

    Reports had said ISIS ambushed and killed 30 Nigerian troops on Friday in the  North East.

    The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Theatre Command of Operation Lafiya Dole, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said in a statement in Maiduguri that contrary to the report, there were no such attacks on troops of operation Lafiya Dole by ISIS or any other adversary within or outside the theatre of operation.

    He described the report as another set of media propaganda and attempt by the Boko Haram terrorists to remain relevant at all cost.

    He said the report was unsubstantiated and lacked credibility.

    Nwachukwu said: “The graphic images used to support the article were closely studied and lacked nexus to any recent operational engagements of Operation Lafiya Dole.

    “It is very pertinent to state that the photographs culled were not a reflection of recent operational encounters of Operation Lafiya Dole.”

    The army spokesman said there was neither encounter between the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole with ISIS terrorists nor had they suffered such fictitious attack as claimed.

    He dismissed the said article and graphic images as “bundle of unprofessionally packaged falsehood, designed to misinform and create fear in the people and build an aura of false potency around the terrorists.”

    He stressed that the troops had sustained devastating attacks on the Boko Haram insurgents in precursor operations in the theatre of operation.

    “Apart from neutralising their hideouts on the fringes of the Nigerian-Nigerien border through coordinated air and artillery bombardments, troops recently killed two fleeing Boko Haram terrorists in an ambush at Futchinam village in Geidam local government area of Yobe.

    “The troops also killed three insurgents in another ambush in Lingir village where they recovered five AK-47 rifles, five magazines and 11 rounds of 7.62mm (special) ammunition.

    “Troops have dominated the theatre of operation and have denied Boko Haram terrorists freedom of action,” Nwachukwu added.

    NAN

     

  • Army ‘reclaim’ territories from Boko Haram

    Army ‘reclaim’ territories from Boko Haram

    The Nigerian Army on Friday said it has reclaimed all territories earlier captured by Boko Haram insurgents in the North East.

    The Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, disclosed this in a statement in Maiduguri, Borno State.

    Nwachukwu dismissed as “misleading,” reports indicating that seven of the 27 local government areas of Borno State were still under Boko Haram control.

    He described the insinuation as an attempt to propagate falsehood and a futile effort to misinform members of the public on the true security situation in the North East.

    Nwachukwu said troops under the Operation Lafiya Dole had recorded significant successes in the counter insurgency operation and rooted out the insurgents from their major tactical enclave in Sambisa forest and spiritual headquarters at Alagarno.

    He said: “It is very crucial to set the record straight by making it crystal clear that contrary to this misleading report, the Boko Haram terrorists do not hold or control any local government area in Borno or in the North East as claimed by some elements.

    “Local government areas hitherto controlled by Boko Haram have been liberated by troops of Operation Lafiya Dole.

    “The troops have continued to ensure security in the liberated areas after routing out the insurgents.

    “Displaced persons are also encouraged to return to their communities, to resume their normal life.”

    Nwachukwu said the military had conducted various operations to enhance their operations, decimate the insurgents’ group and protect the nation’s territorial integrity.

    The Army spokesperson listed the exercises to include Operations DEEP PUNCH, CHIKIN GUDU and RAWAN KADA, adding that the operations were conducted in collaboration with the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF).

    “These operations culminated in the degradation and incapacitation of Boko Haram insurgents.

    “Apparently, this is the reason the insurgents are striving to remain relevant by resorting to callous use of women and children to carry out suicide bomb attacks on soft and vulnerable targets,’’ he added.

    Nwachukwu stressed that the army had initiated precursor operations to put a final onslaught to the insurgency in the North East.

    He noted that a special Mobile Strike Force was launched in the theatre of operations to effectively patrol localities as well as seek out and neutralise the insurgents from their hideouts.

    “Recently, a total of 82 Boko Haram insurgents were killed in combat and 630 remote settlements cleared by troops.

    “ Our troops are tirelessly on the trail of the fleeing insurgents as devastating coordinated aerial and artillery bombardments are being unleashed on the terrorist group. “The troops are therefore not waiting only to repel attacks as erroneously painted, but rather tactically deployed to deny the adversaries freedom of action and access to logistics,” the army spokesman stated.

     

  • Five killed in Borno terror attack

    At least five people were killed by suspected Boko Haram militants at Nguru Nguro village, Konduga local government area of Borno State, on Tuesday.

    The Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said in a statement that the victims were residents of Bale Shuwari, a community located just few kilometres away from Giwa Barracks in Maiduguri, the state capital.

    The army spokesman added that troops had earlier in the day foiled attempts by terrorists to enter the military barracks.

    The statement said: Boko Haram insurgents killed five persons at Nguru Nguro village, Konduga local government area of Borno State on Tuesday.

    “The victims were residents of Bale Shuwari located just 5km away from Giwa Barracks, Maiduguri.

    “Also an intruder tried to gain access into Giwa Barracks through the defensive position at the back of the barracks but was challenged by vigilant troops.

    “All attempts to halt the intruder failed and while trying to scale over the second barbed-wire obstacle, he was gunned down by the vigilant troops.”

  • How abducted Indians were rescued – JTF

    Joint Task Force (JTF), Operation Pulo Shield, on Tuesday explained that the rescue operation that freed three Indians from kidnappers’ den in Rivers State was staged by a combined crack team of its soldiers, the Nigerian Navy and the State Security Department (SSD).

    JTF also said that it destroyed 41 illegal refineries and arrested 17 suspected oil thieves after its operatives raided various creeks in the Niger Delta region.

    The Media Coordinator, JTF, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, that the Indian victims identified as Messrs Kanishk Johrar, Mohinder Saini, and Balwinder Singh were abducted by nine kidnappers.

    He said the victims were onboard a fishing trawler at Malabo when they were attacked by the gang.

    He said the hoodlums brought them into the shores of Nigerian waters and demanded a million dollar ransom.

    “The combined security squad swung into action after tracking the abductors to their hide out at Abissa, a small fishing port in Akuku’ Toru, Local Government Area of Rivers State, arresting five suspects while others are still on the run,” he said.

    In a separate development, he said troops of 3, 19 and 195 Battalions of Sector 1 squads of JTF uncovered and destroyed 12 illegal refineries at Agbede forest, Obi-Ayagha and Otegele communities in Etsako West, Ugheli South and Warri South West Local Government Areas of Delta State.

    During the clampdown, he said the troops scuttled 28 Cotonu boats, 24 underground storage tanks containing about 70,000 litres of illegally distilled Automated Gas Oil (AGO), 547 steel drums, five surface tanks, 22 plastic tanks all filled with llegally refined AGO.

    “Other items discovered include five speed boats loaded with 150 drums of illegally refined AGO, 47 fabricated steel pots and 37 ovens used for cooking illegally sourced crude oil.

    “Ten suspects nabbed during the operation are currently in the headquarters for further investigations,” he said.

     

  • Gunmen attack vessel, abduct Ukrainian, Greek

    Unidentified gunmen suspected to be pirates have abducted a Ukrainian captain and a chief engineer after attacking a vessel 35 nautical miles off Brass waters, Bayelsa State.

    The attacked ship which was said to have a Marshal Island flag was identified as MT. ALCHE.

    The ship engineer was identified by security sources as a Greek.

    A top security source said 18 crew members were onboard the ship when the hoodlums struck on Monday night.

    The source who pleaded anonymity said while the gunmen robbed 16 others, they isolated the Greek and Ukrainian and whisked them away to an unknown place.

    “We have yet to know their whereabouts. They attacked other crew members and dispossessed them of their valuables. They took the captain and the chief engineer away, “he said.

    He, however, said the victims’ employers had established communication with the kidnappers.

    “Our waters especially at the Brass axis have become death traps. Almost every day pirates harass and abduct expatriates working in Nigeria. It is a terrible thing,” he said.

    When contacted, the Media Coordinator, Joint Task Force (JTF), Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said he had not been briefed officially.