No
fewer than 50 Boko Haram militants and three soldiers died in separate battles
between the insurgents and security agents between Thursday night and Friday.
Saturday PUNCH learnt
that the insurgents engaged JTF troops for several hours in a tough battle in
terrorist camps located in Sambisa Game Reserve, about 70 kilometres south of
the Borno State capital, Maiduguri, where the militants first emerged in 2009.
The militants fired anti-aircraft guns at JTF jets and
helicopters and attacked ground troops with missiles and guns.
Saturday PUNCH learnt
that the casualty figure was high on the side of the militants as the military
carried out simultaneous ground and aerial attacks on the troubled border line
with Chad, Niger and Cameroon.
The militants hit a JTF helicopter with anti-aircraft weapons
during the operation.
However, the pilot was able to navigate the damaged aircraft to
safety with no casualty on the part of the crew members.
Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Chris Olukolade,
told Saturday PUNCH in an electronic mail on Friday that
soldiers of the Special Task Force also destroyed some Boko Haram camps located
in the forests of Northern and Central Borno.
He declined to confirm the casualty figure.
He said that heavy weapons such as anti-air craft and anti-tank
guns were destroyed in the operation.
He said that the operation commenced by the Special Task Force
before the troops movement resulted in the destruction of several weapons and
logistics in possession of the militants.
He listed the destroyed items to include vehicles, containers,
fuel dumps and power generators.
“Advancing troops of Special Task Force have destroyed some
terrorists camps sited in the forests of Northern and central Borno.
Heavy weapons including anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns were also destroyed in
the process.
“The special operations which preceded troop movement have
resulted in the destruction of much of the insurgents’ weapons and logistics
such as vehicles, containers, fuel dumps and power generators. The casualties
inflicted on the insurgents in the cause of the assault will be verified during
mop-up.
“Defence Headquarters is quite satisfied with the progress of
the operation and the fighting spirit of participating troops. The Special Task
Force has been enjoined to sustain the tempo.
“Meanwhile, border posts have all been manned by security agents
to prevent escape or infiltration by insurgents,” the statement said.
British Broadcasting Corporation quoted Olukolade as saying that
at least 30 insurgents’ bodies had been identified while soldiers suffered only
minor injuries.
“The operation continues, we are injecting even more troops and
resources into those areas,” he added.
The aim is to “destroy (Boko Haram) bases, apprehend as many of
them as possible and bring them to justice. It is not just Sambisa, every camp
is under attack,” Reuters quoted him as saying.
In a separate battle, five suspected Boko Haram members and three
soldiers were confirmed dead in a five-hour gun battle in Daura, hometown of a
former head of state, Maj-Gen. Mohammadu Buhari (retd.), on Thursday night.
Katsina State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abdullahi Magaji,
told the News Agency of
Nigeria that the sect members
attacked two police stations and four banks.
Magaji said one of the suspects was killed on Thursday night
while the other four were trailed and shot dead on Mani-Dutsi Road around
9.30am on Friday.
General Officer Commanding 1 Division of the Nigerian Army,
Kaduna, Maj-Gen. Garba Wahab, told newsmen in Kaduna that three soldiers died
and two others were injured in the fight.
He said security agents recovered four AK 47 rifles and some
cash stolen from the bank by the gunmen.
The GOC appealed to residents of Daura, in Katsina State
harbouring suspected terrorists to flush them out in their own
interest.
“I’m not bothered about the casualties of the criminals but we
have been able to recover four AK 47 rifles from them.
“I called this press conference to fill the gap on the attack
that occurred and is still taking place in Daura, Katsina State. We had an
incident from 10pm on Thursday evening when criminals attacked three police
stations and four banks in Daura town.
“At the end of the operation, even though it is still on, I lost
three of my men, two including an officer are wounded. I’m not bothered about
the casualties among the criminals but we have been able to recover four AK47
rifles from them.
“Another group of the criminals had a road traffic accident, in
which three of them died. They engaged the police and the civil defence in that
town and one of the vehicles they were travelling in was seen with a huge
amount of money.
“I have instructed my boys to give it to the police to count and
keep. It is to be given back to the bank because that’s not my job. But the
guns recovered in that vehicle by troops is in the custody of the division.
“The criminals came, they bombed vehicles, they packed money
using Improvised Explosives Devices to bomb everywhere. There are so many of
them dispersed in Daura town right now and what we want to do is to appeal to
the people of Daura that anybody with gunshot wounds should be reported (to
security agents) because if they don’t, these are the same people who will turn
back and attack the same town.
“What I want to achieve is an instance where people living in
the North-West feel secure. We don’t want a situation where we will be viewed
like we don’t have respect for traditional rulers. That is why we are appealing
to the people around the general area even those in the Emir’s palace, because
the possibility of these people entering the palace of the Emir is very high.”
In a separate development, the Chief of Army/Civil Military
Relations, Brig. Gen. Bola Koleosho, told newsmen in Abuja that the insurgents
had been found to be using fake military camouflage in their operations.
Koleosho said the military discovered during a recent gun battle
that culminated in heavy casualties on the side of the insurgents that they
were kitted with fake camouflage.
He said the Nigerian Army considered it necessary to raise the
alarm because of the repetition of the same trend in the Thursday night attacks
by gunmen in Daura, Katisna State.
Koleosho, who displayed the two types of camouflage being used
by the militants, said there was a marked difference between them and the ones
being used by the Nigerian Army for operations in different locations within
the country.
He said, “A recent exchange of gun fire with the insurgents in
the North Eastern part of the country which resulted in large number of
casualties on their side showed that the insurgents were dressed in fake
military camouflage.
“To the unsuspecting populace, these insurgents would have been
misconstrued as soldiers of the Nigerian Army. No doubt, the Nigerian Army has
often been erroneously accused of heinous crimes against innocent citizens
whereas Boko Haram insurgents have been the perpetrators of the dastardly acts.
“All of us are aware of what happened in Baga, the accusations
and all. But it has been found that Boko Haram in camouflage uniforms were
actually responsible for the burning of the houses and killings of civilians.”
Koleosho said soldiers of 35 Battalion, Katsina, under I
Division of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna, responded to the distress call in Daura
and recovered some IEDs, two Gof cars, 10 AK 47 assault rifles and a large
quantity of ammunition.
He warned hospitals and clinics against treating any person with
gunshot wounds without the precautionary measure of reporting first to security
operatives.
Meanwhile, the United Nations warned on Friday that members of
Boko Haram and other extremist groups in Nigeria could face war crimes charges
for deliberate acts leading to ethnic and religious cleansing.
The spokesperson for the UN Office of the High Commissioner for
Human Rights, Rupert Colvile, said this in a statement made available at the UN
headquarters in New York on Friday, the News
Agency of Nigeria reports.
He reiterated calls on Boko Haram and other extremist groups in
Nigeria to cease their “cowardly attacks” against civilians, members of
government institutions, security forces and foreign nationals.
“The High Commissioner noted that members of Boko Haram, if
judged to have committed systematic attacks against a civilian population on
grounds such as religion or ethnicity could be found guilty of crimes against
humanity.
“Deliberate acts leading to population ‘cleansing’ on grounds of
religion or ethnicity could also amount to a crime against humanity,” Colville
stressed.
OHCHR urged the Nigerian government to abide by human rights
principles during security patrols.
The rights body also said it was concerned about the large
number of casualties, reportedly including many civilians, and massive
destruction of houses and property.
Colville urged the government to ensure that international human
rights law was respected during its emergency operations.
United States Secretary of State, Mr. John Kerry, on Friday expressed
concern at allegations of ‘gross human rights violations’ in Borno, Yobe and
Adamawa states.
In a statement titled ‘State of Emergency and Fighting in
Northern Nigeria,’ Kerry said, “The United States is deeply concerned about the
fighting in North-Eastern Nigeria following President Jonathan’s declaration of
a state of emergency in the Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states. We are also deeply
concerned by credible allegations that Nigerian security forces are committing
gross human rights violations, which, in turn, only escalate the violence and
fuel extremism.
“The United States condemns Boko Haram’s campaign of terror in
the strongest terms. We urge Nigeria’s security forces to apply
disciplined use of force in all operations, protect civilians in any security
response, and respect human rights and the rule of law.”
Source: Punch
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