SAN FRANCISCO, November 07, (THEWILL) – The Commanding Officer of the 202 Battalion of the Nigerian Army, Bama, Borno State , Lt. Col. Adamu Garba Laka, on Thursday, declared that the Army was winning the war on Boko Haram .
Laka made the declaration while speaking to journalists who were on tour of Bama , saying his unit which is tasked with securing four Local Governments of Borno; Bama, Konduga, Askira-Uba and Gwoza from Boko Haram, was fully prepared to smoke out the insurgents from their fortress with the new equipment deployed by the Defence Headquarters to the area.
The Local Governments under the unit have a large stretch of the Sambisa forest, reputed to be the last frontiers and camps of the insurgents.
Laka, who noted that the unit had been over stretched in the past , however said “we hope with the additional equipment given to us, we should be able to make Boko Haram a thing of the past.”
Disclosing that there has not been any major Boko Haram attack in the area in recent time, Laka said Bama and environs have been fortified against the incursion of the insurgents with checkpoints established all over the town which has assisted in stopping the terrorists from moving into the town.
He said with the killing of Modu Bama, a notorious member of the sect and indigene of the town, peace has returned to the town as residents who were formerly afraid to give information on the group have been coming forward.
Laka said the Army was presently closing in on the Sambisa forest and has dispersed the terrorists from Kilani, Bulakadi, Izad and Bulla Musa, all located around the forest.
Showing the journalists large catchments of arms recovered from the insurgents , Laka said three weeks ago, the unit saved Bama from a major attack when it had to bomb the vehicle conveying explosive from the Sambisa forest to the town.
The disclosure came as the spokesman of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Maiduguri, Lt. Col. Muhammad Dole, who was also on the tour, declared that there was no truth in some media report that 30 persons were killed and 200 houses burnt in Bama.
He maintained that Bama has been relatively peaceful in recent time as a result of the activities of the soldiers in conjunction with the people of the town who have been supportive and volunteering information.
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