ABUJA (Sundiata Post) – The Nigerian Army has announced plans for an indefinite closure of identified markets alleged to be trading and aiding Boko Haram terrorists with logistic supplies in Borno and Yobe States.
This was announced on Tuesday in a statement by the Director of Army Public Relations (DAPR), Col. Sani Usman, who did not name the exact location of the markets.
According to Usman, the planned closure of the markets was part of measures adopted to contain attempts by some unscrupulous elements to sabotage recent gains recorded by the military in the North-East.
He warned that any breach of the order of the closure of the markets would be dealt with accordingly, and appealed to residents of the affected areas to support the new measures.
The DAPR, however assured that the new measures were aimed at permanently ending the insurgency.
He said: “It has come to the knowledge of the Nigerian Army that as concerted efforts are being made to finally clear all remnants of Boko Haram insurgents in the Nort-East, some unscrupulous elements have been thwarting that efforts for pecuniary gains.
“They engage in all manners of illegal commercial activities such as trading and smuggling especially during late hours, all aimed at sustaining terrorism and insurgency.”
Consequently, Usman said, the Nigerian military and indeed the Nigerian Army is highly concerned with these unpatriotic acts .
“The Army is therefore taking drastic steps to curtail this illicit trading with terrorists, from now on, some markets identified to engaging in this illegal trade with adversary in Borno and Yobe will be closed,” he stated.
Stating further, he said that the military was making concerted efforts to consolidate on the gains recent achievements recorded in the war against terrorists in the North-East.
The Army spokesman also announced the arrest of two Nigerian Army Explosive Device personnel at Yola Park in Yola, Adamawa State with different kinds of ammunition and military hardware.
He said the two private soldiers, Eric Nwokorie and Macauley Fortune were arrested on Sunday February 7 with the unauthorised military items to unknown destinations.
“The items include smoke grenade, over 2000 live rounds of special ammunition, 50 live rounds NATO ammunition, five magazines of AK47 rifles, two Browning machine gun live rounds of ammunition.
“Other include one jack knife, nine jnugle hats, 11 pairs of camouflage (nine desert and three woodland green camouflage), one green beret, two general duty belts, 12 Army T-shirts, two rain coats and five pairs of desert boots,’’ he said.
Usman further assured that despite the setbacks, the military had recently recorded successes in its detremination to flush out the remainder of the Boko Haram elements.
He said troops in different operations in the North-East have killed many of the terrorists, rescued hundreds of persons held hostage and recovered several arms, ammunition and vehicles in the operation.
He said several hideouts of the insurgents in remote villages in Borno and Yobe have been destroyed in the operations carried out by troops under the `Operation Lafiya Dole’ Theatre Command.
