Army kills 35 insurgents, rescues 198 hostages

The authorities of the Nigerian Army say troops in the Northeast in different clearance operation of the remnants of the Boko Haram insurgents, have killed 35 members of the sect and rescued a total of 198 people held hostage by the group and caught suspected Boko Haram recruiters with N.6 million. A statement issued yesterday in Abuja by the acting Director Army Public Relations (Ag.DAPR) Col. Sani Usman said the insurgents were captured in some of the raids or/and fighting patrols carried out by Troops of the 7 Division “that resulted in the killing of so many suspected Boko Haram terrorists, arrests and rescue of persons, as well as recovery of arms and ammunitions.” On Thursday, troops of the 21 Brigade operating in collaboration with civilian JTF cleared the remnants of the insurgents at Bulari, Tori 1, 2 and 3, “10 terrorists were killed and one was captured alive. Unfortunately, 2 Civilian JTF accompanying the troops lost their lives. The troops rescued 7 civilians and recovered a Volkswagen Golf car, 15 bicycles and various bags of foodstuff”. Also troops of the 22 Brigade intercepted 26 persons coming towards Adah village, in Ngala local government area of Borno state, mostly women and children, who said they had escaped from boko haram captivity as they (insurgents) fled towards the Lake Chad general area.
Similarly, troops of 26 Task Force Brigade stationed in Gwoza also intercepted 8 suspected Boko Haram terrorists, trying to enter Gwoza town.
Though they claimed to be farmers coming from Shiadawey, Takwala and Amdaga Madachi villages respectively, known terrorists hideouts, but investigations showed that they were terrorists on a recruitment drive. “This was made manifest when the sum of Six Hundred and Thirty Seven Thousand (N637, 000.00k) Naira was discovered on Abdullahi Yakubu who was identified by another escapee/suspected Boko Haram terrorist as having trading links with the terrorists while the others were confirmed to have participated in carrying out various terrorists acts for the Boko Haram terrorists group”.
Special Fighting Forces attached to 25 Task Force Brigade Damboa, at a checkpoint, arrested a suspected Boko Haram terrorist, Abubakar Bello and 6 other suspects carrying 28 gallons of “Turkey” brand of vegetable oil, 8 bags of flour, 130 crates of soft drinks and 2 bags of sugar. In addition, 5 mobile telephone handsets, 1 external hard drive and 5 flash drives, 2 national identity cards and the sum of Seventy Thousand Naira (N70, 000.00k) only were recovered from him. Investigations revealed that the terrorists now dilute the vegetable oil with other substances to produce diesel to power their generators. The troops of 254 Task Force Battalion in conjunction with vigilantes and Borno Youths Empowerment Scheme (BOYES), also carried out clearance operations at Mufurundi, Kaleri, Masemari, Bego, Bale, Gadzama and Gagantilo villages along Damboa-Bale-Gwoza road.  They also rescued 157 persons held hostage by the terrorists. One Ibrahim Bute aged 67 years, of Gobara village was arrested by the troops on suspicion of being a Boko Haram kingpin.