The Federal Government has ordered the immediate deployment of Nigerian Army Troops to Nasarawa State.
The Director of Army Public Relations Brig.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, made the disclosure at a monthly press briefing to intimate the public on developments in the Nigerian Army in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said a `battalion minus’ are to be deployed to the state.
Attahiru said the deployment followed the heightened security situation in Nasarawa and to aid civil authority to prevent further escalation of the violence to other parts of the state.
“It is gratifying to note that the deployment of the troops to the violent prone-area has helped in curbing the spread of violence by the Ombatse and other ethnic militia groups in Nasarawa State.
“The Federal and Nassarawa State Governments are exploiting other ways at ensuring the quick return to normalcy,’’ he said.
Attahiru said the newly created 7 Division of the Army in Maiduguri had continued to carry out high tempo counter terrorist operations in its area of operational responsibility.
The army spokesman said in the course of counter terrorism efforts, the troops of the division killed a top Boko Haram Commander, who is a high-value target, named, Abba Goroma.
He said that it would be recalled that a 10 million dollars bounty was earlier set aside for his capture.
Attahiru said as part of the efforts, the troops in the formation have conducted operation to pre-empt, dislodge and disrupt the insurgent’s activities in the North-East.
According to him, in the process insurgents camps located at Kitumari, Alkaderi, Kurunmati, Abali, Gajiram and Iza within the Sambisa Forest in Borno have been destroyed.
“Other areas where insurgents’ camps were attacked, include Bubalin and Ngaram within Maiduguri Metropolis as well as Gulimba Area of Gwoza.
“The division continues to dominate the area through aggressive mobile patrols of highways and major urban centres as part of confidence building measures to facilitate the quick return to normalcy.
“All these efforts are aimed at denying the terrorists the freedom action. By and large military operation within the division area of responsibility has been largely successful,’’ he said.
On the soldiers being court-marshaled in Jos, he said the nine soldiers were still being tried.
He said the trial takes the legal processes of a court from arraignment till when judgment was passed.
The director, however, appealed to members of the press to clarify all reports from the Directorate of Army Public Relations before going to the press.
He said anything contrary to clarifying reports from the directorate would be tantamount to giving “oxygen to terrorism and creating undue fear amongst Nigerians’’.
