Army confirms return of 39 missing soldiers, silent on the circumstances

The 39 soldiers who were earlier declared missing following an attack by Boko Haram in the border town of Gashigar in Borno State last week have returned, the Nigerian Army has confirmed.

While confirming the return of the 39 soldiers in a statement, the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Major Gen. Lucky Irabor also informed that a few soldiers were yet to be found after they embarked in the on-going operation aimed at combating terrorist group members of Boko Haram.

The army was however silent over the circumstances surrounding their return, or whether they were initially captured by the Boko Haram group, if they were released, or they escaped.

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“It is true that about 39 soldiers were declared missing. I want to inform you that a sizeable number of our soldiers had returned to base, I think it is only a handful that have not been found, operations are on-going in the area. I think that we will give you the details in due course; we have a task before us that anyone held by the Boko Haram terrorists must be rescued. We will do everything possible to rescue them.’

Continuing, Irabor also confirmed the arrest of 30 suspects who were arrested in connection with the crime of collaborating with terrorists. ‘So far, we have arrested 30 suspects in connection with the crime of collaborating with the terrorists. We have four soldiers, two policemen, vigilantes and other civilians, for some reasons we cannot give out their names for now, but we will do that at the end of the investigation”.

 

 

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