Army captures 235 Boko Haram insurgents in Northeast Nigeria

16 Décembre 2017

Abuja, Nigeria, December 16  (Infosplusgabon) - The Nigerian Army on Saturday said its troops captured 235 Boko Haram insurgents fleeing their enclaves in the Islands around the Lake Chad region and other areas in the Northeast State of Borno, following the intensified offensive in the region against the terrorists.

The Army also stated that it has “extricated” a total of 240 family members of the insurgents who had fled the area following the troops' offensive. They are made up of 67 women and 173 children.

This is just as the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Yusuf Buratai, on Friday paid an unscheduled visit to the Wounded in Action Soldiers from the anti-Boko Haram war on hospital admission at the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital, Kaduna.

A spokesman of the main anti-Boko Haram force in the Northeast (Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole), Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, said in a statement that intensified ongoing offensive on Boko Haram enclaves in the Islands around the Lake Chad region, “which commenced about two weeks ago with coordinated air and artillery bombardments on Boko Haram enclaves while ground troops moved in to clear the areas, is yielding positive results, as several insurgents have been killed and 167 others have been captured.

Nwachukwu noted that the 240 family members of insurgents on the run, who already have been profiled, would be handed over to the authorities of the Internally Displaced Camps (IDPs) “after preliminary investigations are concluded.”

He added that “in the past two months, troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have sustained ongoing precursor operations and have conducted long range fighting patrols and ambushes seeking out and clearing BHT hideouts in Saada and Juwei in the fringes of northern Borno.

During the operations, troops intercepted and arrested 53 fleeing insurgents who have been profiled and are currently helping with investigations. Fifteen insurgents have also willingly abandoned the insurgent group, describing it as a futile struggle and have surrendered to troops of Operation Lafiya Dole within the period.

“Our heartfelt sympathy and condolences go to families and relations of troops as well as civilians who paid the supreme price in the encounters and callous suicide bomb and Improvised Explosive Device (IED) attacks by the terrorists.

“While troops continue relentlessly in the ongoing offensive to decisively rid the north east hinterlands of insurgents, members of the public are implored to be more security conscious and vigilant in their homes, communities, places of worship, markets and other places of business to identify strange persons as well as any suspicious activity and promptly report same to security agencies.  They are also urged to remember to “Say something, if you see something.”

On the visit of Buratai to the Wounded in Action in Kaduna, the Nigerian Army Spokesman, Brig.-Gen. Sani Kukasheka Usman, explained that the Army Chief “was conducted round the 4 Operation LAFIYA DOLE wards of the hospital by the Director, Maj.-Gen. Ikechukwu Bernard Okeke.

He said that the COAS interacted and commiserated with each of the soldiers on admission as he went round from one bed to another. During the visit, he also gave further directives on the review of the patients’ conditions, expedited treatment and proper care.”

FIN/INFOSPLUSGABON/MHP/GABON 2017

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