Five strongholds of the Boko Haram insurgents in the northern part of Borno State have been taken by the Special Forces, it was learnt yesterday.
No fewer than 120 members of the sect were rounded up at the weekend at the funeral of one of its top commanders, who was killed during one of the raids, a Defence Headquarters statement said yesterday.
Terrorists fleeing towards neigbouring countries – Chad and Niger Republic – are being contained, Brig.-Gen. Chris Olukolade said in the statement.
A 24-hour curfew has been slammed on Yobe State, six days after a state of emergency was declared.
More troops have also been deployed in Adamawa, the third state under the state of emergency.
But the curfew in Borno has been relaxed from 24 hours to 12 hours.
Lt.-Col. Sagir Musa, a spokesman for the Special Force in Maiduguri, announced the reduction of the curfew imposed five days ago to 6pm – 7a.m. But he declined to give details.
Gen. Olukolade said: “The Special Forces have now secured the environs of New Marte, Hausari, Krenoa, Wulgo and Chikun Ngulalo, after destroying all the terrorists camps sited in the vicinity of these localities. The troops are already interacting with locals and citizens assuring them of their safety and freedom from the activities of insurgents.
“Terrorists fleeing towards Chad and Niger Republic are being contained as they have had encounters with Multi-National Joint Task Force in various locations towards the border. Advancing troops also observed a few shallow graves believed to be those of hurriedly buried members of the terrorist group.
“In Maiduguri, about 120 terrorists were arrested as they organised burial of one of their commanders who died in an encounter with Special Forces the previous day. The arrested insurgents are in custody of the Joint Task Force where they are being interrogated.
“Meanwhile, Defence Headquarters has observed the use of photographs purportedly taken in the areas covered by the operations and wishes to state that the photographs are questionable as they do not reflect any related reality of the social or geographical environment.
“ This also makes the story they claim to depict of Nigerians fleeing to Niger Republic and other countries doubtful. The media is advised to always strive to associate stories with accurate pictures in order to avoid misleading the public.”
The Special Forces commander for Adamawa State, Brig.-Gen. Fatai Oladipo Ali, addressed 200 troops that arrived from Lagos, part of an expected extra 1,000 sent to the state.
“There will be no hiding place for terrorists. The insurgents signed their own death warrants by taking up arms against the Nigerian state,” he told the troops.
Gen. Ali warned soldiers against “harassing innocent people”.
The U.N. emergency relief agency (OCHA) and the Niger’s Red Cross said in a report that around 1,500 people had fled across the border into Niger in the past two weeks, but it had not yet been established what their nationalities were.
“Humanitarian agencies fear an increase in the numbers coming into Niger,” it said, adding that they were monitoring the situation. The region also borders Chad and Cameroon.
Yobe State government imposed a dusk-to-dawn curfew across the state.
Announcing the adjustment of the restriction of movement, the Special Adviser to Governor Ibrahim Gaidam on Media, Abdullahi Bego, in a statement, said the decision was to sustain the relative peace being enjoyed in the state.
He said: “This is to inform members of the public that in view of the need to sustain the relative peace that all parts of the state currently enjoy, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam has approved an adjustment of the hours during which public movement is restricted around the state.
“Consequently, restriction on movement now starts from 6.00pm to 6.00am daily throughout the state, with effect from today, Monday, 20th May, 2013.
“The decision for this adjustment follows a meeting that His Excellency the governor had with heads of law enforcement agencies in the state.”
“His Excellency urges the general public to continue with the exemplary support and cooperation with security agents to ensure lasting peace in the state.
“His Excellency the governor also urges the public not to relent in prayers to the Almighty Allah (SWT) for the restoration of peace in the state and the country in general,” the statement read.
In Borno State, life is becoming unbearable for residents of Maiduguri, with the closure of exit and link roads in and outside the town by men of the Joint Task Force (JTF).
The closure has caused the non-supplies of vegetables and other essential food items, such as fruits, milk and eggs, to the Maiduguri Monday Market (MMM).
It was learnt that vegetables and other essential food items were usually supplied from the outskirts of the metropolis like Damboa, Lake Chad Basin Areas, Jos and Baga.
Consequently, the Market prices of vegetables, milk and eggs, have, however, increased by 100 per cent at the Maiduguri market.
A survey shows that one small plastic container of tomatoes is now sold at N200 as against last week’s price of N100.
A 50kg bag of onions is now N20, 000, as against the old price of N10, 000.
Other items affected by the closure of roads in Borno State include milk and eggs, which is now N1, 500, from its old price of N850.
As the market prices soar, housewives and residents resort to dried vegetables of okro, spinach, garlic, meat and fish supplied from the local fish ponds of farmers in Maiduguri.
Link roads in and outside the Maiduguri are intermittently closed and opened at military discretion.
