Troops kill 404 insurgents in mop-up operations in Borno; ex-Army Chief Agwai backs action

The Nigerian Army, on Thursday, said it killed 404 Boko Haram insurgents and arrested 810 others in various operations in the past five months.
Maj.-Gen. Attahiru Ibrahim, the Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, made the disclosure at a press briefing in Maiduguri, Borno State.
Ibrahim said the insurgents were killed during operations designed to clear remnant of the fleeing Boko Haram members.
He said that the troops encountered the insurgents at various fronts including Marte, Mafa, Dikwa, Damboa and Gwoza.
“Some 860 settlements were cleared and 19,640 civilians were rescued from the insurgents.
“Also, 810 insurgents, including a high-profile member of the insurgency, were arrested within the period under review.
“The rescued civilians were screened and placed at the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camps,’’ Ibrahim said.
According to him, during this operations, troops recovered various ammunition and destroyed camps.
The commander said that 97 attacks using Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs) were recorded, adding that some of the attacks were neutralised by the troops.
According to him, about seven soldiers died while nine others were wounded during the operation.
He explained that the command, in joint operations with the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), had cleared 11 settlements on Lake Chad basin in Kangarwa and Marte as well as in parts of Cameroun and Chad.
He listed Domo, Kelewa, Damara, Abaga, Karo, Kunaguma and Jugulu Kara as some of the liberated communities.
Ibrahim also explained that the insurgents had resorted to IEDS attacks on civilians in view of the success recorded by the military in its campaign against them.
The commander reiterated the commitments of the Nigerian Army to end insurgency while protecting lives and property in the country.
He advised the people to be vigilant and support the military to enable it to discharge its duties effectively.
Meanwhile, former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Martin-Luther Agwai, on Thursday, called on Nigerians to support the Nigerian Army to win the war against the Boko Haram insurgents.
Agwai, who was the special guest at a seminar to round off activities to mark the 2017 Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL), said the support was necessary as military might alone could not win the war.
“If people believe that it is only the military that can bring an end to Boko Haram war, they are making mistake because those who are involved in the warfare are after political and not only military targets.
“It is important to note that this type of warfare is difficult to win.
“Strategically, the enemy in this warfare remains focused on changing the minds of decision makers.
“Politically, it involves national and international networks. Operationally, it uses different messages to different audiences, ” he said.
The former army chief warned that the Boko-Haram terrorists were after the political class and other high ranking Nigerians, contrary to the notion that the terrorists were only after military personnel.
He, however, suggested that almost all personnel in the army should be given infantry training, irrespective of their calling, if the war against terrorism must be won.
“My suggestion is that the Nigerian Army must be infantry dominated to fight the next war that we are fighting. It must be infantry dominated.
“Every army personnel should have the skill to perform infantry functions whether you are in the engineering or the armoured corps or any other corps; because everywhere is a battle field and you don’t know where warfare will start.
“The clear message is that the infantry dominated at the tactical level and that is where the enemy fights more. With all the strategies you have, if you do not have tactical capabilities, you will be defeated,” he said.
Twelve officers and four soldiers were presented with awards for outstanding performance during the occasion.