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Boko Haram torches military base a day after farmers killed

By Editor
07 April 2017   |   9:16 am
Boko Haram jihadists have torched a military base in northeast Nigeria, a day after the group killed seven people in a separate raid, residents said.

One Soldier was feared killed and two others missing during a fierce gun-battle between troops of Operation Lafiya Dole and remnants of Boko Haram insurgents around the Gwari/Ganye axis of Borno State.

Boko Haram jihadists have torched a military base in northeast Nigeria, a day after the group killed seven people in a separate raid, residents said.

Jihadists believed to be loyal to a Boko Haram faction that is recognised by the Islamic State group on Thursday attacked the base in Wajirko village, 150 kilometres (90 miles) from Maiduguri, capital of Borno state, forcing the soldiers to flee.

“The gunmen arrived in pickups and engaged soldiers in the base just outside the village in a heavy shootout,” Wajirko resident Bukar Maduye told AFP.

“The soldiers were outgunned and forced to withdraw from the base and allowed the gunmen, who were from Mamman Nur faction, to take over the base which they looted and set on fire,” he said, adding that villagers were not attacked.

The assailants were believed to be loyal to the faction headed by Abu Musab Al-Barnawi, the son of Boko Haram founder Mohammed Yusuf.

Barnawi was appointed last year by the Islamic State group to replace leader Abubakar Shekau.

But Barnawi’s right-hand man Mamman Nur, the alleged mastermind of a 2011 bombing of a UN building in Nigeria’s capital Abuja, is believed by many to be the real leader.

A vigilante assisting the military in its fight against Boko Haram confirmed the incident, adding that the soldiers had moved to a military base 40 kilometres away (25 miles).

“There were no reports of casualties from either side but the (military) base was completely burnt by the Boko Haram terrorists and the soldiers fled,” Mustapha Karimbe said.

In a separate attack on Wednesday scores of Boko Haram fighters rode on motorcycles into Abbati, a farming community outside Maiduguri, where they killed seven men and stole 360 livestock.

“They slaughtered the two men they had forced to lead them to the community and shot dead the five owners of the cattle herds who had confronted them with bows and arrows,” said vigilante Babakura Kolo.

Barnawi and Mamman Nur have previously promised residents in areas under their control they would not be harmed as long as they did not cooperate with Nigerian troops fighting Boko Haram.

But in recent weeks the Islamist fighters have intensified raids in areas near Lake Chad, stealing food from residents.

They have also killed several civilians they accused of cooperating with the military.

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4 Comments

  • Author’s gravatar

    this is pure shame, we keep hearing that everything is under control, and our army are running like women and leaving their base. C-IN-C where are your resources being channel to?

    • Author’s gravatar

      Truth is that it will take maybe a generation to completely eliminate this nuisance. They are now in hit and run phase as they can no longer carry out conventional warfare

      • Author’s gravatar

        Shut up, it is people like you that is supporting them to colour failure with sweet words designed to hoodwink Nigerians. Did you not hear that they are occupying some villages which they promised not to harm as far as they do not co-operate with the Nigerian Army. But the garrulous Lai is in Abuja deceiving people “that never again would BH occupy any land in Nigeria”. Has there been any conventional warfare with BH; is it not deceitful when you say they have entered hit-and-run phase as if there has been any other form of warfare by BH. Has it not been a hit-and- run-into-Sambisa” tactics.

        The masquerade has been de-robed and we now know that under Buhari, soldiers can abandon a military base for a rag-tag army that came on motor cycles and pick-up vans. And what is Buhari waiting to put on that uniform he wore during the campaigns with which he promised to storm sambisa to wipe out BH in three months.

  • Author’s gravatar

    overran the base means carting a haul of ordnance and other supplies abandoned by the Army. The government keeps celebrating the defeat of the terrorist while the terrorist keep springing surprises. God bless Nigeria