Three injured, as soldiers battle B’Haram insurgents who laid ambush for Borno officials

Boko Haram terrorists on Friday ambushed a convoy of Borno State Resettlement and Relief Committee officials, who went to Baga town for a routine distribution of relief items to the Internally-Displaced Persons (IDPs).

The Relief Committee made up of mostly commissioners and top government officials were coming from Baga town after routine distribution of relief items to IDPs, when they were ambushed along Maiduguri-Gajiram-Monguno Road at Jigalta village of Guzamala Local Government Area, by the insurgents.

Meanwhile, the Governor of the state, Babagana Zulum may have narrowly escaped another attack by the insurgents. It would be recalled that Governor Zulum and his entourage spent a night in Monguno last Tuesday, distributing relief materials.

However, Zulum later joined his colleagues in Abuja for the inauguration of the newly-elected President of the Niger Republic, and directed the Committee to proceed to the troubled Baga and continue the exercise.

The exercise went on successfully on Thursday, until the return trip on Friday, when the entourage was attacked.

Apart from three soldiers that sustained injuries, none of the troops and the officials were harmed, including the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Kaka Shehu Lawan.

However, scores of the terrorists were killed by the troops with support from men of the Anti-Robbery Squad and Civilian JTF.

Read also: BORNO: Top LG officials absent as Zulum pays unscheduled visits to secretariats

Ripples Nigeria gathered that the incident happened at about 12:30 noon and was confirmed to newsmen in Maiduguri by Lawan.

Narrating the incident, Lawan said: “Yes there were some elements of Boko Haram ISWAP that ambushed troops escorting us from Baga to Maiduguri. The incident took place around Jigalta village, on our way back. Our military troops did a wonderful job of neutralising all the terrorists.

“Unfortunately, three of the military troops sustained minor injuries during the attack, and are now in stable condition. This is a huge success, as the attackers were suspected to be the ones terrorising and laying ambushes in the roads almost on daily basis.”

Governor Zulum and his entourage had suffered the same attack while on their way to Baga town for the same mission some time ago.

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