Indications emerged yesterday that six Army Generals may have been quizzed over the recent capture of Mubi, Adamawa State, hometown of the Chief of Army Staff, Alex Bardeh, by members of the terrorist Boko Haram group.
It was gathered yesterday that the Brigade Commander of the 23 Armoured Brigade Yola, Colonel Popoola, was quizzed at the Military Headquarters, Abuja, over alleged complicity in the role played by the command under his control leading to the fall of 234 battalion, Mubi Barrack to the insurgents.
The military is yet to regain the lost territories from the hand of insurgents despite the fact that the Federal Government gave directive to the Nigerian troop to reclaim Mubi town.
A source in 23 Armoured Brigade Yola, told our correspondent that six seniors military officers from the command are presently undergoing investigation over the fall of Mubi.
“Some Colonels and other senior officers have been invited to Abuja to give account of their activities or negligence that led to the fall of Mubi town. Honestly, our Brigade Commander has been under House arrest in Abuja while many soldiers have been under arrest”, the source added.
One of the soldiers who took part in the battle in an interview with reporters in Yola yesterday narrated his ordeal on how Boko Haram overpowered them saying that the Nigerian troop lost the battle because of lack of needed equipment.
“We mobilised at Uba, Maraba Mubi and Mubi town itself to liberate Michika and Madagali from the hand of insurgents.
“We were not well equipped and we sent an advance team. Our advance team on getting to the bridge that locked Uba and Michika which was already destroyed the soldiers went there with their makeshift bridge. They placed the bridge and cross over to Michika side to engage the insurgents.”
He explained that after hours of gun duel between the two sides, the Nigerian military were on the receiving end and had to retreat due to the superior fire power including Anti-Aircraft RPG of the insurgents.
According to him, after the Nigerian troop retreated, the insurgents pursued them and followed them into Mubi, adding that the soldiers who were at Maraba Mubi, Uba, Hildi and other military outposts were overwhelmed and eventually deserted.
He said the insurgents then overran Mubi without resistance.
However, the youth vigilante group, popularly known as Civilian JTF, has vowed to take the battle against the insurgents to their door steps in order to assist the Nigerians troops liberate the northern parts of Adamawa based on the matching order given by President Goodluck Jonathan.
The group said that they are worried by the recent attacks by Boko Haram on towns and villages in Adamawa State, stressing that as Nigerians, they owe the nation a duty of care by protesting its territory from any external aggression.
The civilians JTF said that they are mobilising forces to set free four local government areas in the state, Madagali, Michika, Mubi North and Mubi South which have since fallen into their hands of the insurgents.
The Adamawa state Coordinator of civilian JTF, Alh Bako Ali Goni, who made the position of the group known to reporters yesterday said that the neighbouring town of Mubi such like Maiha, Hong, and Gombi have become targets of attack by the insurgents, that his group would protest it with their last blood.
“ Boko Haram members are human being like us, we will not allow any outlawed group to take over all the land that belong to our forefathers. We owe our children explanation and we want history to remember us for the bold step we take in case we perish in the battle”, he said
He expressed their willingness to take the battle against terror to the hideouts of the insurgents, saying that they are not afraid of death, ‘’every soul must taste death and, therefore, we are not afraid.
He maintained that his group had vowed to go after the terrorists and members of his group are optimistic that with their sticks (Gora in Hausa) and other local charms, they will flush out the insurgents from their hideouts if the Federal Government gives them the go-ahead.
Source: Daily Newswatch
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