Troops of the Special Forces have intercepted messages sent to fleeing insurgents urging them not to give up, but fight to the end.
The attempt by some of them to heed the call was foiled during the weekend as they were trailed to some settlements and towns towards the border where they planned to regroup.
Defence spokesman, Brigadier General Chris Olukolade, said that the troops of the Multinational Joint Task Force carried out an operation which resulted in the capture and destruction of the insurgents’ assembly points sited on the outskirts of Kaneram Dan Katsina, Tumbu Dabino and Mallam Fatori area north of Baga.
According to him, the towns and settlements have now been secured while cordon and search operation is also ongoing in the area after the insurgents have been dislodged.
He said that a total of 25 insurgents were rounded up while three died including a high profile terrorist identified as Abba, who had been on the list of most wanted persons.
General Olukolade disclosed that the incident happened during an encounter with troops of the task force as the insurgents were finalising moves to carry out an extensive terrorist operation around Maiduguri.
He also added that the captured ones were all apprehended with their weapons which include rifles, pistols, double barrel guns and various calibres of ammunition during a raid operation of the JTF in Kumshe and Bulunkutu area.
He said the terrorists succeeded in killing a security operative of the Task Force but, they were all apprehended before their main planned infiltration with more arms to cause mayhem in the city.
Also, in Sambisa forest, troops combing the area continue to make more discoveries as a man who had been held hostage in the forest since last year escaped, bound in handcuffs as his captors fled during the troops’ attack on the biggest camp in the forest.
The freed hostage is being treated by the Task Force while the troops are dominating the forest as they find a number of fresh graves.
The Defence spokesman added that more arms and ammunition, burnt vehicles and other equipment were discovered and that there would be more updates as the operation continues.