The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Sambisa forest

  • Troops begin ‘Operation Crackdown’ in Sambisa

    Troops begin ‘Operation Crackdown’ in Sambisa

    Military chiefs yesterday met in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, to reappraise the ongoing anti-insurgency war in Sambisa Forest —believed to be the last stronghold of the Boko Haram insurgents.

    Yesterday’s meeting was presided over by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) Gen Gabriel  Abayomi Olanisakin. It was attended by Chief of Army Staff Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai and Chief of Air Staff Air Marshal Sadiq Baba Abubakar.

    There were also senior military chiefs at the Theatre Command Headquarters of Operation Lafia Dole at the Maimalari Cantonment.

    Gen. Olanisakin told reporters that the meeting was to reappraise the ongoing military operation at the Sambisa forest and environs with the aim of clearing the remnants of Boko Haram insurgents from Nigeria’s territory.

    “ I am here with the Service  Chiefs actually to reappraise the operation that is ongoing in Sambisa.

    “ We have an operation now that started a couple of days ago and we have come to appraise the level of that operation.

    “ The military onslaught tagged ‘Operation Crackdown’ is to clear the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists out of Sambisa and Nigeria’s borders.

    “ The operation has been on course for five days. The little issues that are being encountered by troops at the operation are being addressed to achieve the operational plan.

    ” I want Nigerians to know that we are determined to clear Boko Haram from our land,” the CDS said .

     

  • Army troops repel Boko Haram

    Army troops repel Boko Haram

    The Nigerian Army on Tuesday said that the Troops 26 and 28 Task Force Brigades repelled a dawn attack by fleeing Boko Haram terrorists on the military locations at Pulka and Bitta on the fringes of Sambisa Forest.

    According to the Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Usman Kukasheka, the troops of 114 Task Force Battalion came under three-pronged attack by Boko Haram terrorists fanning out of the Sambisa forest from Damboa, Tokumbere and Pulka axis.

    “At the end of the debacle, 2 Boko Haram insurgents paid for their atrocities with their lives while several others sustained gun shot injuries. The fate that befell those that attacked Pulka was more dreadful.

    “The ever ready and vigilant troops rose to the occasion by repelling the attacks and killing all the 16 attackers and captured one of them alive during the exploitation.

    “The gallant troops also recovered 11 AK-47 rifles, 3 General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs), 1 Browning Machine Gun (BMG) and 2 Toyota Hilux vehicles. Others are a 60mm Mortar tube, 7 boxes of 12.7mm ammunition and 1 belt of 12.7mm ammunition.

    “It is gratifying to state that there were no casualties on our own troops except for 3 soldiers that sustained minor injuries.

    “The troops remained on maximum alert and are equally busy consolidating and continuing with their clearance operations with high morale,” Kukasheka said.

  • Troops clear escaping Boko Haram terrorists

    Nigerian Troops of 21 Brigade Bama, under the 7 Division area of operational responsibility, in a blocking position, have at the early hours of Friday, cleared escaping Boko Haram terrorists that came through Sabsawa axis of Sambisa forest.

    The troops also recovered a Toyota Hilux, 2 AK-47 rifles with registration numbers 58006915 and KO 35839, as well as 37 rounds of 12.7mm metal linked ammunition.

    Unfortunately, one officer sustained injury during the encounter, but he is however in a stable condition.

  • FG ‘still tracking’ Chibok girls

    FG ‘still tracking’ Chibok girls

    The Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed has restated commitment of the Federal Government to tracking the location of the missing Chibok girls.

    Mohammed said it was important for the military to adopt less lethal procedures compared with the drastic measures employed by neigbouring countries along the Sambisa Forest.

    He said the public should commend the military and provide needed information to further decapitate the insurgents.

    Mohammed, who spoke during Channels TV, Sunrise programme, said “we are a bit constrained. I know that some countries have set certain fire around the Sambisa forest in order to smoke out the Boko Haram insurgents but we are being careful because we are still looking for the Chibok girls and we do not want unnecessary collateral casualties.

    “I know that many of our neighbours like Mali and Niger have employed certain procedures because of our major objective that we are still looking for the Chibok girls, so in some parts of Sambisa forest, we cannot adopt such drastic approaches.”

    The 235 Chibok girls were declared missing for about 300 days, while efforts were made to ensure their safe arrival.

    The Minister stated that prior to the assumption of the current administration; the entire north east was almost taken over by the insurgents.

    However, he restated need to applaud the military for recovering about 20 local governments from the entire councils lose to the sect.

    “People must own the war. They must report suspicious movements and complement efforts of the military. How many bars or football viewing centres in Lagos can you secure? No, but if you have enough information to beef up the security, it would help,” he added.

    “That is absolutely incorrect. It is possible for insurgents to lay ambush on the road. It doesn’t mean that they are in control of those local governments. I travelled 89 kilometres from Maiduguri to Bama.

    “We are not saying we are going to route or eliminate ambush or attacks overnight. It’s never done in any insurgency but what we are just giving the fact, less than a year ago, the entire north east was
    almost in their control, today they don’t have that kind of command. It’s just about one local government that they have swayed at all,” the Minister said.

    He emphasized that the public should complement efforts of the military by contributing to intelligence gathering.

  • Troops intercept fleeing Boko Haram members

    Troops intercept fleeing Boko Haram members

    Fleeing members of the Boko Haram sect were on Tuesday intercepted at Pulka while attempting to escape the ongoing military onslaught in Sambisa forest.

    This is contained in a statement by Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Usman, when he disclosed that troops arrested one of the insurgents during the encounter, while many others were killed.

    According to the Colonel, the troops also recovered a General Purpose Machine Gun (GPMG), 47 rifle magazines, 36 hand grenades, several rounds of 7.62mm (NATO) ammunitions and quite a number of Shilka gun empty shells.

    Similarly, the troops recovered 2 boxes of 7.62mm ammunitions, a Toyota Hilux, and some Improvised Explosive making Devices cords, during another encounter with the sect at Buni Yadi general area.

  • Troops begin final push against Boko Haram in Sambisa forest

    Troops begin final push against Boko Haram in Sambisa forest

    The army announced yesterday that its men “have advanced deep” into the Sambisa forest in Borno State in the bid to deliver the final blow on Boko Haram.

    They are  “clearing most of the camps therein, rescuing persons held captive, arresting some terrorists and destroying most of their weapons and equipment,” Acting Director Army Public Relations, Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman, said in a statement.

    He added: “advancing troops of the Nigerian Army, supported by the Nigerian Air Force were able to clear and destroy Boko Haram terrorists’ camps at Shuari, Adembe, Yerimari Kura, Yerimari Gana, Gonin Kurmi, Kore, Mainya Kore, and Lopere.

    “Additionally, the Multi-barrel Rocket Launcher Regiment has destroyed the terrorists’ camps at Dure, Dure Kore, Jokwa, as well as several other camps.

    “The troops recovered foodstuffs, motorcycles, flags, Improvised Explosive Making Devices (IED) materials and military uniforms. Among other discoveries were the terrorists’ tunnels, weapons and equipment.

    “The soldiers also recovered 2,000 cows rustled from various persons over time and rescued women and children held captives by the Boko Haram. While the animals have been moved to Kanwuri, the rescued persons have been evacuated and are being given all the necessary support and assistance.

    “During the encounter with the terrorists at Yerimari Gana a number of Boko Haram terrorists were killed and some suspected terrorists were arrested who are being interrogated. However, a soldier sustained gunshot wound and fracture on the leg.

    “Similarly, while advancing to destroy Nefari terrorists camp, troops discovered and cleared 3 IEDs laid along the route. The camp was successfully cleared and troops have continued their advance while a blocking force has been deployed to prevent infiltration and possible escape by the terrorists.

    “Unfortunately during another encounter with the terrorists along the axis of advance, three soldiers made the supreme sacrifice, while an officer and two soldiers were wounded in action.

     

    “It is instructive to note that the troops’ morale is very high and being conscious of their set objective, they are unrelenting in their determination to defeat the Boko Haram terrorists.”

    Troops have also reportedly destroyed Boko Haram terrorists’ camps Bulagaije and Disa, Gwoza Local Government Area, Borno State and recovered motorcycles, Dane guns and ammunitions.

    The claims could not be independently confirmed.

     

  • Air Force jets bomb Boko Haram’s vehicles, others in Sambisa forest

    Air Force jets bomb Boko Haram’s vehicles, others in Sambisa forest

    BOKO Haram’s vehicle workshops, fuel and ammunition dumps in Sambisa forest have been bombed by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) jets.

    A statement by NAF’s Director of Public Relations & Information, Air Commodore Dele Alonge, which made this known yesterday, gave an assurance that the latest air strikes have increased the possibility of ending insurgency in the Northeast.

    NAF attributed the success of its air strikes to expert use of drones and the ATR-42 aerial surveillance aircraft.

    “In a renewed drive to further degrade the Boko Haram Terrorist (BHT) assets, the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) Alpha jets have successfully carried out air strikes and destroyed the sect’s vehicle workshops, fuel and ammunition dumps all within the Sambisa forest.

    “This feat by NAF came as a result of a painstaking Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) efforts by the NAF’s Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and ATR-42 platforms.

    “The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, wishes to assure all Nigerians that with these successful strikes on the insurgents, their capabilities have been further degraded to pave the way for the final onslaught by the land forces to meet the Commander-in-Chief, President Muhammadu Buhari’s directives to bring insurgency in the Northeast to an end,” he stated.

    Gowon: deadline for defeat of insurgency not sacrosanct

    Former  Head of State  Gen. Yakubu Gowon said yesterday that the December deadline for the military to end Boko Haram insurgency is not sacrosanct.

    He spoke in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, during a visit to Governor Dave Umahi as head of an advocacy group on Malaria and other tropical diseases.

    He said:  “I can tell you this; nobody can really talk about when any particular operation is going to end. And as a (former) commander-in- chief, I know this.

    “Yes, you can say you target a particular time, but it may finish before that time or it may go slightly beyond. To end it, that is the most important thing.

    “I assure you that I have absolute confidence in our military that they are going to really deal with the situation as they are doing at the moment.

    “May the spirits of these poor little children who are being brainwashed to carry out such heinous crimes rest in peace.” he said.

    He admonished Nigerians to pray so that God would touch the hearts of the Boko Haram insurgents.

     

  • Why Nigerians must support Army

    Why Nigerians must support Army

    I just watched the Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt. General Tukur Buratai on Television after he visited troops in Geidam Community of Yobe State, as a result of Wednesday’s attack by Boko Haram militants who over-ran the military.

    Tn the attack, the insurgents killed 3 soldiers, carted away many weapons and ammunition abandoned by the military on the run and looted mostly food and petroleum products from the popular Wednesday market.

    I was particularly touched by the honesty of General Buratai who was obviously angry with the troops who had run away from Geidam town.

    In his words, the General said “How can you allow these criminals over-run you? How can you run away from this rag-tag and untrained criminals? You allowed them to operate here for 12hours unchallenged. You refused to come back until they withdrew.”

    On the surface, the words of COAS Buratai are very hurtful to the image of the Nigerian Army but this is the painful reality today.

    The Nigerian Army seems to be overwhelmed and demoralized.

    The image of the Nigerian Army has suffered so much damages in the eyes of Nigerians and the international community mainly because of the way they have handled the war against Boko Haram in the past 3years.

    These insurgents have repeatedly, for over 2years, embarked upon massive propaganda using social media to demonize the Nigerian Army.

    They have through so many online propaganda and campaigns portrayed our army as a weak and a cowardly army that cannot stand to fight.

    Many online media and personalities helped the insurgents to achieve their propaganda campaigns either intentionally or otherwise.

    It is important for us to know that all wars are fought both on ground, air, sea, land and in the minds of all parties involved in the war and most importantly in the psyche of the citizens. To win this war against Boko Haram, we must conquer the minds of Boko Haram with fear, win over our allies and friends by convincing them our army is capable and reliable and also boost the confidence of our troops through citizenry support since the morale of our troops are boosted when they know the citizens of their country are solidly behind them.

    The Nigerian Army and our other security agencies are our last line of defense against these barbarians since we cannot defend ourselves against their satanic attacks. If not for the efforts of the Nigerian Military and our other security agencies, these barbarians would have taken over the entire nation, enforced their barbaric and misguided religious tenets on all of us, restricted us to their false Sambisa sharia law system, forced our Sisters into sex slavery like they have done to the Chibok Girls and make us live in perpetual fear of terror.

    [quote font_size=”18″ font_style=”italic” bgcolor=”#000000″ bcolor=”#e2e2e2″]We sleep safely at night because rough men stand ready to visit violence on those who would harm us.”  ― Winston S. Churchill[/quote]

    If not for the Nigerian Army and other security agencies, many Muslims and Christians across our country would not be able to go to the mosque on Fridays or the church on Sundays.

    Boko Haram seeks to destroy Christianity and Islam and do not wish any of us well, Nigerians, irrespective of religious consideration, party affiliation and tribal affinity, must realize that Boko Haram are our common enemies and not just the Nigerian Army’s.

    The Army means well and are doing their very best to protect us all despite the overwhelming odds, they need our support at all times.

    This was what the opposition party in the days of President Goodluck Jonathan was admonished with but they refused to listen. They politicized everything.

    Sadly, they politicized the attempt by the former president to list Boko Haram as a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO); they politicized the procurement of arms to prosecute the war; they politicized appointments of service chiefs; they politicized State of Emergency in the North East; they politicized Chibok and turned it into a campaign tool against Jonathan.

    The PDP-led Federal Government and the Nigerian Army, for inexplicable reasons, chose to see issues as an appendage of the PDP rather than the federal government.

    Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, now governor of Kaduna State and many leading APC chieftains then referred to the Nigerian army as Jonathan’s army. They politicized everything as regards the fight against the deadly sect.

    At some point in time, their presidential candidate now President Muhammadu Buhari called an attack against Boko haram an attack against Northern Nigeria.

    If the political class and all Nigerians had supported the then Federal Government and our security agencies in the fight against Boko Haram, may be we would have long won the war.

    The politicization of the war against Boko Haram caused more damage than good on the whole nation. Those who saw the war against Boko Haram as an avenue for them to keep scoring needless and cheap political points in the North, sabotaged the efforts of our security agencies.

    They got the Arewa Consultative Forum (ACF) to issue endless press releases kicking against the ban on Boko Haram and the plan of the then FG to list Boko Haram as an FTO which was needed to get arms from our allies to effectively prosecute the war.

    And finally, when Boko Haram was listed as an FTO, they began another campaign against the army saying former Chief of Army staff, Lieutenant General Ihejirika was also a sponsor of Boko Haram and was the one supplying arms to Boko Haram on the orders of former president Jonathan.

    Their allegations were so scary and consistent that our allies became skeptical of supplying us with arms, and the United States and Israel refused selling arms to us to fight the deadly sect.

    We had to turn to Russia for help. As if that was not enough, the former governor of Adamawa State, Murtala Nyako even did the unbelievable, accusing the FG of genocide against Northern Nigeria and suggested that federal troops were the ones dropping arms for Boko Haram with helicopters.

    Furthermore, it was Mallam El-Rufai that built a propaganda foundation which suggested that former President Jonathan was the one sponsoring Boko Haram against the North.

    He also tried to bring in the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, Ex-Niger Delta Militants and others as possible sponsors of the terrorist group. El-rufai ensured he poisoned the minds of young people from the North and many of his followers on social media against the then president Jonathan by maintaining this lie. He further justified this lie when he spoke at Chatham House by presenting a table to justify his propaganda theory.

    The questions all Nigerians must now begin to ask those who refused to support the former administration of Goodluck Jonathan and our security agencies in their fight against Boko Haram then and who are suddenly supporting the Federal Government and the army now is, what has changed? Is Goodluck Jonathan still the one sponsoring Boko Haram with the help of his Niger Delta ex-militants? Is CAN still the one sponsoring Boko Haram? Explanations were offered to APC on why they should see the battle against the terrorists as a national issue rather than treated as a political one just for parochial and mundane reasons, that where national security is concerned, we must not play politics with it but they did not listen.

    They threw caution to the wind and were playing loudly to the gallery. Now see where that has gotten us to, in just 120 days of president Buhari taking over, the deadly group has killed more than 1,300 Nigerians and bombed Abuja twice.

    The message here is this, the enemy is Boko Haram, not the Federal Government, not president Buhari, and definitely not our ever caring Nigerian Army and the security agencies who daily spend their days in the heat and their nights in the cold while the rest of us spend times with families in the comfort of our homes.

    The military deserves our respect and support as they remain in the forefront in the fight against these barbarians.

     

    Deji Adeyanju is a Member of the PDP

    He writes from Abuja and can be contacted:

    Twitter: @adeyanjudeji

    Email: dejiadeyanju_1979@yahoo.co.uk

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  • Troops make steady progress in Sambisa forest – Army

    Troops make steady progress in Sambisa forest – Army

    The Nigerian Army says troops involved in the counter-insurgency operation code-named; “Operation Lafiya Dole’’ are making steady progress toward clearing all Boko Haram enclaves in and around the Sambisa forest.

    This is contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by the acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman.

    Usman said in the statement that troops were currently clearing Boko Haram hideouts around areas that had already been taken over by the Army within the forest.

    “I am glad to inform you that our troops are making substantial progress within the fringes of Sambisa forest.

    “Nigerian Army troops are clearing Boko Haram enclaves along axis of advance from Bitta to Tokumbere,’’ the statement said.

    It reiterated the commitment of the Nigerian Army toward ending insurgency and to ensure a safe and secure Nigeria in line with the directive of the President.

    In a related development, the Army announced the arrest of some suspected suppliers of hard drugs and other stimulants to Boko Haram terrorists by troops of the 3 Division, Nigerian Army.

    The Army said the suspects were arrested between Depchi and Geidam in Geidam Local Government Area of Yobe on Tuesday.

    The arrested persons were also said to be engaged in the supply of fuel in addition to hard drugs such as Cannabis (Indian hemp) Chlorofone substance and Tramol.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the development reinforces an earlier statement by the Army that the insurgents were operating under the influence of drugs.

    The Army had earlier reported that most of the Boko Haram terrorists captured by Nigerian military could not read the Holy Qur’an.

    According to the Army, the bases of the insurgents are littered with local charms, condoms and drugs, including sex enhancing ones.

  • Air Force bombards Boko Haram bunkers in Sambisa Forest

    Air Force bombards Boko Haram bunkers in Sambisa Forest

    •Troops foil suicide bombing

    Barely 72.hours after President Muhammadu gave a three-month deadline, the Nigerian Air Force yesterday bombarded all Boko Haram bunkers located in the dreaded Sambisa Forest.

    The bunkers might be between 30 and 40 being managed by the sect.

    Also, troops yesterday foiled a suicide bombing attack on Rumirgo Market in Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.

    According to a top military source, who spoke in confidence, the bombardment of the bunkers will be extended to all the camps and cells of the insurgents in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.

    The source said: “The Nigerian Air Force has commenced aerial bombardments of hidden bunkers of Boko Haram in Sambisa Forest and other camps or cells in the North-East.

    “The Air Force and ground troops have located many bunkers being managed by the sect. There is no retreat, no surrender again. We are taking the battle to the insurgents.”

    Responding to a question, the source added: “We are talking of 30 to 40 bunkers in Sambisa Forest. Our mission is to smoke out the insurgents from the bunkers.”

    An official statement by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) confirmed the aerial attacks on Sambisa Forest.

    In a statement by its Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Commodore, Dele Alonge, NAF said the aerial bombardments have degraded the capability of the insurgents.

    The statement said: “The Nigerian Military in its resolution to incapacitate and further degrade the fighting spirit of Boko Haram Terrorist Group (BHT), has carried out several bombings and air strike missions in Sambisa Forest.

    “The strike missions came after several weeks of tactical reconnaissance by the reconnaissance/ surveillance aircraft.

    “The air strikes carried out by F-7NI and Alpha Jet fighter aircraft, as well as attack helicopters have resulted in the degradation of the terrorists capabilities and destruction of some of their strong holds.

    “Intelligence report revealed that as aftermath of the strike missions, the terrorists have been confined and their capabilities greatly reduced, thereby restricting their nefarious activities to small-scale attacks and suicide bombings.

    “The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar assures all Nigerians that the air efforts would be sustained until the Boko Haram Activities become a thing of the past.

    “He further stated that, the Nigerian Air Force with their support is willing, able and ready to meet up with current and future security challenges of the nation.”

    Meanwhile, troops yesterday foiled a suicide bombing attack on Rumirgo Market in Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State.

    A statement by the Acting Director Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Kukasheka Usman, confirmed the foiling of the suicide mission by troops.

    The statement said: “An attempt by a suicide bomber to attack and wreak havoc at Rumirgo Market in Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State on Saturday morning was thwarted by a gallant vigilante group member.

    “The suspected suicide bomber heading to Rumirgo market was accosted by the ever vigilant and security conscious vigilante.

    “In the process of interrogation, the suspected terrorist blew himself off and died on the spot. The vigilante member sustained injuries and has been rushed to hospital for medical treatment by troops.

    “The situation is under control as people go about their normal businesses. The Nigerian Troops have been placed on maximum alert to forestall further attack.

    “We want to seize this opportunity to call on the public to continue to be more vigilant and security conscious.”