The Nigerian military officially replied to the audio statement recorded by the speaker claimed to be Abubakar Shekau, the leader of the dreaded Boko Haram sect, whom the Nigerian military claimed it killed long ago. The Chief of Army Staff’s goodwill message delivered through Major General Yusuf Abubakar, the Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, has gone a long way to boost troops’ morale and prod them into action, Usman added. The military also confiscated weapons, some of which were buried by militants who appeared to be abandoning their posts during the raid, he told the paper.
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“The troops also rescued 241 women and children during the operation”, he said.
Usman in a statement late Thursday night said: “heroic Nigerian troops have today captured the economic important and strategic town of Banki in Borno State which is equally noted for fishing”. “Some were being held, some belonged to their (the militants’) families”, he said.
Following a tip-off by well-meaning citizens, troops of 3 Division yesterday stormed and dismantled a Boko Haram fuel dump located at Ladu Dumbawa ward, Guzamala local government area of Borno State.
The Boko Haram militancy has now become a regional issue, having spilled over into Nigeria’s neighboring countries.
BBC Nigeria correspondent Will Ross says dozens of Boko Haram fighters have given themselves up in recent weeks but this would be the largest group by far to have surrendered en masse. Shortly after the abduction, they appeared in a video reciting from the Koran and were said to be married to Boko Haram soldiers.
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Diffa lies on the border with northeast Nigeria, where the Islamists have waged a bloody uprising since 2009, leaving at least 15,000 dead and left more than two million others homeless.
