The Nigeria military has, in addition to over 500 women, girls and children liberated from the Boko Haram stronghold in Sambisa forest in Borno State, recovered another set of 260 women and children from Adamawa State.
The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade disclosed this in a statement, saying that some number of terrorists were also killed while trying to recover the women and children.
According to Olukolade, the troops on patrol Saturday located 260 women and children on the outskirts of Chalawa village in Adamawa State where they had been held up while trying to escape from terrorists.
He said that “they have now been conveyed back to their various communities in Madagali after undergoing the normal security profiling.
“Some of them disclosed that they had to abandon their homes to escape from the terrorists when Madagali came under their attack, while others were actually abducted and taken there. The terrorists were however sacked from the Madagali recently”.
However, Olukolade also disclosed that a number of terrorists died in an encounter with troops who caught up with them as they fled prior to the recovery of the women and children.
He said: “Some of the terrorists still managed to escape with varying degrees of gunshot wounds. Others who were captured are now being interrogated by intelligence officers.
“A machine gun, some rounds of ammunition, as well as some motorcycles and bicycles were also captured from the terrorists. A member of the vigilante group serving as guide to the troops was however wounded”.
In another development, Olukolade said a man who specialises in supplying fuel and food to terrorists was this morning nabbed in Daban Shata in the suburbs of Baga, Borno State.
He noted that the military intelligence had been trailing him till he was eventually trapped in the early hours of Sunday.
He also said that the suspect is currently undergoing interrogation.
Meanwhile, he added, the operation in Sambisa forest is continuing as troops are methodically searching every aspect of the expansive terrain. (Thisday)