The Nigerian Army has finally admitted and confirmed to the general public that Boko Haram is regrouping on the fringes of Borno State.
The Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Rogers Nicholas, confirmed that some Boko Haram members are regrouping around Bama Local Government Area of Borno State.
Nicholas stated this to journalists in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital on Monday, that some Boko Haram terrorists attacked Nigerian Army positions in Bama village on Saturday while troops were conducting assault operations in the area.
While confirming the attack, the theatre commander of operation Lafiya Dole may have borrowed a line from President’s Buhari playbook when he blamed the attack on the muddy terrain of the road, which according to him slowed the movement of troops and left several operational vehicles stuck in the mud.
Despite numerous independent reports however, the Theater Commander, denied reports that some soldiers went missing after the attack with military vehicles carted away. He described such report as untrue and misleading.
BOKO HARAM AMBUSH NIGERIAN SOLDIERS – KILL SCORES, CART AWAY EQUIPMENT
However, the commander also noted that the army would have to restrategise its operations especially with the setting in of the rains to consolidate on successes recorded.
Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Texas Chukwu, had earlier also denied reports that 23 Nigerian soldiers were missing after the ambush.
The Army spokesman said the soldiers promptly repelled the attack while none of them was dead or missing.
“The Nigerian Army wishes to state categorically that the report is not only untrue but misleading as the said report is blown out of proportion by the media. Contrary to the report, the Nigerian Army wishes to put the record straight on the issue and assure members of the public particularly residents of the North East to disregard the report as their safety is guaranteed,”
He further reiterated that the fight against Boko Haram terrorists in the insurgency troubled region of the country was yielding positive results.