We Seized Boko Haram’s Food, Says Military

           

The Nigerian Defence Headquarters has said that
members of the Multi- national Joint TaskForce
currently involved in the anti-terrorism war
against the Boko Haram have seized food and
logistics meant for members of the Islamist
group operating in Baga, Borno State, in a
coordinated air and land operation on Monday.

According to the Defence Headquarters, the
operation also led to the capture of many
insurgents.

It said, via Twitter, that another operation aimed
at reclaiming Monguno, a town in Borno State,
from the insurgents had been completed.
With the successful liberation of both towns, the
Headquarters added, the military had recorded a
significant breakthrough in its efforts to rescue
the North-East from the pangs of terrorism.


“Troops, in an operation led by highly-
coordinated air assaults, have completed the
mission of clearing terrorists from Monguno and
its environs.

A number of terrorists, as well as truck-loads of
food and logistics meant for terrorists operating
around Baga, have been captured,” the force
headquarters tweeted.

It stated that Nigerian soldiers had recovered
some arms and ammunition from the insurgents
during the battle, which it described as
successful.

“There were casualties, while arms were
recovered in the operation in Monguno, Marte
and other communities that are already secured.
Military operation to clear terrorists from
Monguno and other communities is successful,”
it said.

While informing members of the public about the
progress of the battle, the Defence Headquarters
said, “The air and land operation is continuing
with an aggressive advance towards other
designated communities and locations meant to
be cleared.”

Last weekend, the Director of Defence
Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, said
fresh efforts by the insurgents to invade Gombe
State, in the early hours of Saturday, were
repelled.

“Calm has returned and the troops are pursuing
them. They ran to different directions and are
being pursued. They went to Gombe just to
prove a point that they are still alive and can
disrupt the elections,” he said.

The Boko Haram had reportedly sent a message
to residents of Gombe at the weekend, warning
them to steer clear of polling booths in the
March 28 presidential election. The message,
they said, was to avoid being harmed as they
would strike during the election.

With the renewed campaign of the insurgents,
including the attack on a Cameroonian military
camp on Monday, many people have expressed
concern over the incident. They have been
wondering if the intelligence report that put the
population of the terrorists at about 5,000 had
not underestimated their capacity for more
violence.

An analyst known as Lefty said it appeared the
terrorists were tougher than assumed. Lefty, who
commented on an online report, wondered why
the multi-national taskforce comprising troops
from Nigeria, Cameroon, Niger and Chad had not
been able to successfully thwart their efforts.

Another online commentator, Blanketpower, said
the MNJTF was fighting “bad guys who have the
money and the power” to frustrate them. He
described the war as “uneven”, saying the
insurgents might change their tactics and decide
to carry out attacks on families of the soldiers.

Meanwhile, President Goodluck Jonathan has
commended Nigerians for cooperating with the
armed forces to prosecute the war, which he
said had reached a critical stage.

The President said the special squad established
by affected West African countries needed more
cooperation from civilians to make impact.

“I ask for the cooperation of all Nigerians
because, just as we learned with the Ebola Virus
Disease, we will not defeat terror unless we
defeat it together! Let us pray for the gallant
men and women of our armed forces and
support them by providing information and by
refraining from any action that will undermine
their efforts and jeopardise their lives.

“We sleep on our beds at nights because they
sleep in the open. We must honour the memory
of our fallen soldiers by ennobling their sacrifice
with our thoughts, words and actions. Nigeria is
our only country and we are her only people. We
must ensure that we put her first in everything
we do at these critical times by subjugating all
other interests to hers,” the President pleaded in
a statement posted on his Facebook page.