FOLLOWING attempts by fleeing members of the Boko Haram terrorist sect
to regroup in a bid to fight back, the Defence headquarters, yesterday,
said that communication equipment used by the group for shooting and posting online video messages of their leaders have been recovered.
The
disclosure was made just as Special Forces of the JTF commenced night
and day patrols to dislodge remnants of terrorists still hibernating in the camps and hideouts of the hilltops and forests where the terrorists had made their den.
The equipment recovered including laptops, mobile communication equipment (GSM phones)
and others used for shooting and posting online videos, as well as
locally made rockets and rocket launchers were among several items
seized by the JTF from the arrested terrorists. They were displayed for a
nine man Defence Headquarters Assessment Team that visited Borno and
Yobe states, weekend.
A statement by Brigadier General Chris
Olukolade, Director of Defence Information said: “As a follow up to
scheduled assessment visits to troops in the North East of the country, a
nine member Defence Headquarters Operational Assessment Team has
returned from Yobe and Borno States to brief the Chief of Defence Staff
with updates on the situation in the operational area of the Special
Forces operating in the North East.
“The force which has been
tasked in support of the implementation of the State of Emergency is
conducting operations to stop terrorism and to restore normalcy to the
security situation in north eastern part of the country. The team
visited troop’s location in various parts of Borno and Yobe States.
Interacting with the troops inside Sambisa forest, the team leader and
Director of Operations in the Defence Headquarters, Air Vice Marshal
Olatunji Faloyin, conveyed the greetings and commendation of the Chief
of Defence Staff (CDS), whom he said was very proud of the troops”.
He
expressed the CDS satisfaction with the high level of successes so far
recorded in the operation and thanked them for a job well-done, urging
them not to rest on their oars until the entire region was fully
sanitized and cleared of all terrorists activities. The team also
assured the troops of regular logistic supplies while the mission lasts.
Earlier,
the team was briefed by commanders, on conduct of the operation to rid
the forest of the insurgents who had made the location their sanctuary.
They were told that some notorious leaders of the terrorists have been
captured while some materials recovered in the camp have also provided
useful intelligence for subsequent operations.
The team was told
that some casualty in men and equipment were recorded on the part of
troops during the operation. Commanders also disclosed that the troops
were currently engaged in night and day patrols of the area to dominate
the forest and apprehend any terrorist who may be lurking around.
Meanwhile,
the nine man assessment team has confirmed that the military was still
in control of the situation in the two states adding that the troops
were combing the forests and the terrorist camps to fish out the
remnants.
On fears that Boko Haram members were regrouping, AVM
Olatunji Faloyin while delivering their report, assured the CDS that the
possibility of the terrorists regrouping was not possible, because all the camps
have been taken over by the military. He dismissed such rumour as
coming from the segment of people who were not aware of what the
military had done so far in the two states.
Source
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