Director, Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade
The fighters of the Boko Haram Islamic sect attacked Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State on Tuesday.
An intelligence source said on Tuesday
that the attackers attempted to overpower a unit of soldiers without
success around Barkin Dutse.
The source said that the insurgents were
still involved in a gun duel with troops as of 2.20pm when our
correspondent filed this report on Tuesday.
It was learnt that the soldiers had an
upperhand against the insurgents while some troops were drafted to the
Cameroonian side of the border to block it.
The
source stated also that soldiers surrounded all the exit points to and
outside Madagali to prevent the insurgents who invaded the area from
fleeing.
“As we speak now, the Boko Haram members
are attacking Madagali. They attempted to overpower a military unit at
Barki Dutse area but the soldiers responded sharply to the attack.
“They have not been overpowered
completely; they are still fighting but soldiers have been deployed to
all the exit points from Madagali.
“Troops have also gone to block the Cameroonian side of the border to prevent them from escaping.”
It was further gathered that a suicide bomber killed nine people at Garkida, in Gombi Local Government area of Adamawa State.
It was learnt that the suicide bomber
detonated the Improvised Explosive Device at the Garkida Market when
activities were picking up in the market on Tuesday.
It was further gathered that some members
of a youth vigilante group apprehended another set of two suicide
bombers who were caught with unexploded IEDs wired to their bodies.
The two terror suspects were said to have
confessed that six of them were involved in the mission to unleash
violence on the Garkida Market.
They were also said to have told their
interrogators that the whereabouts of three of the suicide bombers was
unknown while one died in the suicide attack on the market.
“A suicide bomber has killed nine people
in Garkida Market today (Tuesday). You know today is the market day and
the bomb went off when the people were selling their wares in the
market.
“I can’t say the exact time it happened
but it was in the morning. Two of the suspects who had bombs strapped to
their bodies were apprehended.
“The two who were arrested confessed that
there were six suicide bombers who were sent to the market but three
escaped and one died in the explosion.”
Our correspondent could not get the
Director Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, to comment on
the story as calls to his mobile telephone line did not connect.
Also Olukolade did not respond to a text message on the issue as of the time of filing the report.
Meanwhile, the troops of the Nigerian
Army said they have killed a large number of insurgents in an encounter
with the terrorists’ elements at a location in Gwoza Local Government
Area.
Investigation revealed that the soldiers
and the insurgents had a long-drawn battle on Saturday in a hilly hamlet
between Paulka and Gwoza.
A security source who confided in our
correspondent said that the troops of the 121 Special Forces battalion
carried out the military action that culminated in the killing of over
50 of the insurgents.
It was learnt that the soldiers who were
deployed in the hilly mountains of Gwoza close to the nation’s border
with Cameroon sighted a large number of the Boko Haram insurgents and
engaged them in a gun duel.
The source said that the insurgents were
moving out of the Sambisa Forest to get food items in a particular
location when they were sighted and the gun battle ensued.
It was gathered that a soldier who was
hit by the insurgents’ bullets was quickly flown to Maiduguri for urgent
medical attention.
The soldiers of the 121 Special Forces
Battalion last week encountered many insurgents between Paulka and
Gwoza. Several of the insurgents were killed in the attack.
“Our guys who were drafted to the top of
the hills spotted the terrorists while they came out of their hideouts
in the Sambisa Forest to look for food.
“They were not expecting the attack, so
we got them seriously. One of the soldiers who sustained bullet wounds
was immediately moved to Maiduguri for urgent medical action.”
Our correspondent could not get Olukolade
to comment on the development also as calls to his mobile telephone
line did not connect.
He also had not responded to a text message on the issue as of the time of filing this story.
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