14th May, 2016
The Nigerian army on Saturday said Boko Haram militants attacked troops camped in Sambisa forest, Borno state, while troops were refitting in the camp.
Army spokesman Colonel Sani Usman said troops of 21 Brigade and Armed Forces Special Forces (AFSF) on Operation Crackdown inside Sambisa forest while on harbour for refitting came under Boko Haram militants attack at about 1.45am today.
However, Usman said the troops successfully repelled the attack followed up with mopping up operations of the general area before advancing.
Nigerian soldiers also recovered two corpses of the attackers, two AK-47 rifles, two Rocket Propelled Grenade (RPG) bombs, five rifle magazines, mortar bombs and belts of Machine Gun rounds.
Usman said: “Unfortunately 5 soldiers were wounded in action (WIA), as a result of mortar fired into the harbour area by the Boko Haram terrorists. The wounded soldiers have been evacuated to the rear for treatment.”
In another statement, Usman said troops also arrested a wanted Boko Haram militant’s leader deep inside Sambisa forest.
He said troops arrested one of the declared wanted Boko Haram leaders, and also conducted patrols and clearance operations within the theatre of operations.
”At about 1.35pm on Friday troops of 143 Battalion arrested one Sulaiman Umaru, a suspected Boko Haram group member whose photograph is on the poster containing the photographs of the 100 Boko Haram member declared wanted.
Usman said Umaru has since been moved to 28 Task Force Brigade Headquarters for further investigation.
He said some elements of 112 Task Force Battalion conducted a fighting patrol along Dikwa-Gulumba Gana road, and engaged in a fierce fire fight with some Boko Haram members during which the troops killed quite a number of the Boko Haram members.
He added that the team ran into an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) at Antul, a village south east of Dikwa, in which 7 soldiers and 4 Civilian JTF accompanying them sustained injuries.
He said the injured soldiers and their civilian counterparts have been evacuated to 7 Division Hospital and Medical Services Maiduguri.
The army spokesman said the patrol team had earlier intercepted 31 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), including women and children coming from Sunabaya, Gumule, Garno and Mane-Gana villages.
During preliminary investigations along with the vigilantes, one of the IDPs, Abacha Bulama, a native of Mane-Gana village, was found to be in possession of the sum of One Million, Nine Hundred Thousand Naira (N1,900,000.).
Although he claimed to be a businessman, his possession of such large amount of money arose suspicion.
While Bulama has been detained for further investigation, other IDPs have been handed over to Dikwa IDP Camp Manager for screening and further humanitarian assistance.
He added that on their part, troops of 254 Task Force Battalion, 25 Task Force Brigade have moved to Ngalimeri and shelled Boko Haram terrorists hideouts at Budumairi, Goneri Baleni, Mallam Maitari, Malemiri and Gombori.
Although there were no signs of Boko Haram insurgents in the area as they have all fled, however, 35 persons were rescued, screened and are being rehabilitated at Damboa IDP camp. The troops also arrested two suspected Boko Haram members with dane guns.
Usman further said troops of 192 Battalion, 26 Task Force Brigade also carried out clearance operations at Guduf Buba, Yagwa, Gamude, Kwatara Kasa and Kwatara Tsakiya villages.