Scores Killed As Boko Haram, Bandit Terrorists Attack Soldiers, Others In Borno, Niger

Many soldiers and civilians have been reportedly killed after Boko Haram terrorists and bandits carried out daring attacks in Borno, Plateau, and Katsina states between Sunday night and Monday morning.

According to Daily Trust, the terrorists attacked a village in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) where they killed a seven-year-old and abducted nine residents.

The attacks have been described as embarrassing, with security experts saying it is “a source of worry” the way our military operatives were being attacked.

Terrorists ambush troops in Borno

The publication reports that Boko Haram, in the early hours of Monday, ambushed a convoy of military troops and the Civilian Joint Tasks Force (CJTF) in Gubio Local Government Area, Borno State.

The Chairman of the CJTF, Bukar Mandama, and four other group members were reportedly killed in the ambush.

It was, however, gathered that many members of the terrorist group were killed during the attack.

A security source disclosed that the insurgents had earlier been sighted on Sunday on motorcycles heading for a Rural Grazing Area (RUGA), which military authorities responded to by deploying troops to the area.

The soldiers had combed the area when they arrived, but the terrorists were not sighted.

“While on their way back to the town Monday morning, unknown to them, the terrorists had laid an ambush. They opened fire on the troops leading to the death of members of the CJTF,” the source said.

Confirming the incident to newsmen at the state Specialists’ Hospital, Maiduguri, the Chairman of Gubio LGA, Alhaji Bukar Sulum Zowo, said, “We woke up to a piece of very sad news this morning as Boko Haram killed our CJTF Chairman, Alhaji Mandama and other members in a road ambush in Gubio. We prayed to Almighty Allah to grant eternal rest for the souls of the deceased and wish other victims who sustained gunshot injuries quick recovery.”

Niger attack foiled

Meanwhile, suspected terrorists attempted a failed attack on a military base in Sarkin-Pawa, the headquarters of Munya Local Government Area of Niger State.

It was gathered that troops and terrorists engaged in a gun duel at the military base around 2:23 am.

A military source told Daily Trust that the troops were strengthened by the swift response of a reinforcement of soldiers who drove to Sarkin-Pawa in a few minutes from Minna, the state capital, to save the situation.

The spokesperson for the Coalition of Shiroro Association, Salis Mohammed, said, “Terrorists attacked the military camp in the late hours, but unfortunately for them, the gallant soldiers were on alert.

“The terrorists came in hundreds trying to dislodge the military base. The military engaged them in a gun duel, which lasted for about two hours until the military called for reinforcement and successfully neutralized them.”

Reacting to the clash, Governor Abubakar Sani Bello said the terrorists would have succeeded if soldiers had not responded swiftly.

He said: “The government and the people of Niger State are truly hopeful with the way our security operatives always respond to attacks despite the poor nature of the terrain in which they fight the enemies of the state.

“The state is in closed collaboration with the federal government to ensure that no stone is left unturned to put an end to these criminals that have held farming communities to ransom, denying them access to their means of livelihood.”