B’Haram rig Sambisa with landmines, kill 4

In their final onslaught against the Boko Haram terrorist group, Nigerian forces were forced to make a retreat from the sect’s Sambisa Forest stronghold in the restive northeast after a landmine blast killed one soldier and three vigilantes.

Military top brass said on Wednesday that soldiers were conducting offensives “in some forest locations” in the area after it was announced last week that operations were imminent.

Defence spokesman Chris Olukolade said in a statement that “The operations especially in forest locations are progressing in defiance of obstacles and landmines emplaced by the terrorists”.

But progress has been severely hindered because of improvised explosive devices, a civilian vigilante involved in the operation told AFP in an account backed by a security source.

“Boko Haram have buried landmines all over the routes leading to their camps in the forest, which is no doubt a huge obstacle retarding the military offensive against them”, he said.

Troops withdrew just five kilometres from Boko Haram’s main camp in the densely forested area because of landmines.

“We decided to turn back since the route was unsafe. As we were driving back, one of the vehicles carrying CJTF (Civilian Joint Task Force) hit a mine. A soldier and three CJTF were killed while another soldier was injured. We trudged along and made it back to Bama on Wednesday.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now