Boko haram insurgents have invaded a military base in the North-east, killing upwards of 30 Nigerian soldiers in the process on Saturday according to Reuters.
The attack which is the biggest of its kind so far this year by the Boko haram faction loyal to the Islamic State in West Africa occurred on a Nigeria Army base in Zari Village, Borno, North-east Nigeria.
According to an anonymous Military source;
“The battle lasted for about two hours and our colleagues fought them but things became bad before the fighter jets arrived. We lost about 30 of our soldiers and about 10 were wounded.”
Several other sources who craved anonymity because they were not authorized to speak for the Nigeria Army confirmed that it was a surprise attack and about 20 to 30 soldiers died in the attack as details of the battle only emerged hours after because it happened in a remote area of the North-east on the border with the Republic of Niger.
This latest attack destroys the illusion of safety and security being touted by the Nigerian Government and military hierarchy.
The Nigerian Government had ordered thousands of Internally Displaced Persons who had fled the area to return home declaring that it was safe despite reports by International Aid Agencies that it was not safe.
As the attack occurred on Saturday in the area one begins to wonder why the Nigerian Government would willingly sacrifice the life of its citizens to propagate a lie of safety because of elections gains.
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President Buhari is under extreme pressure to deliver on campaign promises bothering on security and protection of lives and property as the 2019 General elections approach.
President Muhammadu Buhari, a former general, had won the 2015 election after vowing to crush Boko haram militants; President Buhari is seeking a second four year term in office.
The Boko haram faction allegedly responsible for the attack had split from the main group in 2016 christening itself ‘the Islamic State of West Africa, ISWA.
Reports vehemently denied by the Nigeria Army also revealed that 20 soldiers had been missing and feared dead during a similar attack on a Nigeria Army base earlier in July.
After the report was leaked to the press, the Army authorities appointed a new commander to oversee the North-east Operations of the Military against the insurgents in the light of several embarrassing defeats at the hands of Boko haram.
The Nigeria Army has a tradition of denying attacks on its bases and personnel even in the face of overwhelming evidence.