After Boko Haram insurgents attacked the
army formations in Bama, Borno State, and Jilli, Yobe State, during
which hundreds of soldiers reportedly went missing, the Chief of Army
Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai, and other top army commanders have
relocated to the North-East on an assessment mission......
The Director, Army Public Relations,
Brig. Gen. Texas Chukwu, confirmed the army chief’s relocation in a
release on Tuesday, insisting that the army did not record any death in
the two assaults by the insurgents.
On Tuesday military sources, however,
claimed that the corpses of 10 soldiers, who were among the troops
attacked during the assault on Kwakwa and Chingori communities in the
Bama area, had been found.
The terrorists, said to belong to the
Al-Barnawi faction, were also reported to have links with the Islamic
State West African Province fighters.
The army’s spokesman, Chukwu, said strategies were being mapped out to contain the attacks by the insurgents.
He said, “The Chief of Army Staff and
his team have been in the theatre to assess the operational development
in the North-East, particularly northern Borno, and have just concluded
strategies to improve on the state of security of the general area.
“The attack in Jilli was very
unfortunate but has been brought under control as our troops have since
reoccupied the location. In most asymmetric operations, incessant
attacks of this nature are not uncommon.
“The wounded soldiers are presently receiving treatment in the military hospital.”
Meanwhile, security agencies have
arrested seven more suspects in connection with the recent killings of
over 200 persons by suspected Fulani herdsmen in Barkin Ladi and Riyom
Local Government Areas of Plateau State.
The suspects were paraded on Tuesday at
the headquarters of the Special Military Special Task Force, codenamed
Operation Safe Haven, in Jos.
The acting Director of Defence
Information, Brig. Gen. John Agie, who came from the Defence
Headquarters in Abuja, said, “l came in from Abuja today (Tuesday) in
continuation of our intelligence gathering and intensive investigation
over what happened in the state last month.
“Our troops are still after those who were involved in the attacks on June 23 and that led to the arrest of two suspects.
“…After this parade, we are going to hand them over to the police for further investigation and prosecution.”
Agie said a total of 18 suspects had been arrested.
However, the Taraba State Police Command
on Tuesday confirmed the killing of six yet-to-be-identified persons at
Iware Market in the Ardo-Kola Local Government Area of Taraba State by
suspected armed Fulani herdsmen.
Iware is 17 kilometres away from Jalingo, the Taraba State capital.
The Police Police Public Relations
Officer in the state, David Missal, confirmed the attack and killings to
our correspondent in a telephone interview.
Missal said some people brought cows to
the market for sale, but were attacked and killed by suspected armed
Fulani men on the allegation that the cows were stolen ones.
“Information available to us indicates
that the attackers killed the yet-to-be-identified people because the
cows they brought to the market were their cows, which were stolen
during the crisis in the Lau Local Government Area of the state.
“We have yet to get the identity of those that were killed and I cannot confirm whether they are from Lau or not.
“We are still gathering intelligence on
the attack. We are trying to find out the perpetrators who took the law
into their own hands, instead of reporting to us if really a case of
cattle rustling was established,” he said.
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