FG Sends 500 Extra Soldiers To North East To Fight Boko Haram

The military’s efforts also got a boost yesterday when the federal government announced the deployment of about 500 military personnel to combat the insurgency in Adamawa, Yobe and Borno States.

Coordinator of the National Information Centre (NIC) and Director General of National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mr. Mike Omeri, confirmed the deployment at the centre yesterday in Abuja.

Omeri said the deployment was contrary to stories making the rounds, suggesting that there was no military presence in the affected states.
He stated that normalcy had returned to Mubi and other cities claimed to have been taken over by the Boko Haram sect.   

“We just have one issue today about reinforcement of military troops as part of the effort to check the Boko Haram challenge in the country, the Nigerian military has continued to enforce its presence in the challenged communities in the North-east,” he said.

He added: “Contrary to the media reports, the military has confirmed the new redeployment of more than 500 troops to support the expectations around that area including Gulak and Michika, among others.

“We believe with this commitment and effort, the situation will be brought under control."
According to Omeri, the situation report yesterday indicated that Mubi town was calm while troops including the police and other service personnel were on patrol in the area.
Residents: Military Has Not Recaptured Bama

However, despite the federal government and military’s claims on the recapture of Bama, a group of fleeing residents of the town yesterday said the military was telling half-truths by insisting it had recaptured Borno’s second largest city from the sect.
The residents, who have fled to Maiduguri as a result of the Boko Haram siege on the town, said contrary to the military’s claims, the town was still under the occupation of the insurgents.

The residents, under the aegis of Bama Development Foundation (BDF), while addressing a press conference in Maiduguri, said despite the effort of the military to push out the insurgents, they remained in control of the commercial town.
Led by the chairman of BDF, Mallam Mohammed Hassan, the fleeing residents said on the attack which took place on September 1, the Nigerian army resisted the insurgents for several hours, but were however overpowered which led to the takeover of the town by the terrorists.

Hassan noted that after the takeover of the second largest town in the state, several people lost their lives, some were drowned in the River Yadzaram in the course of fleeing while others were shot dead.

He said apart from those in captivity that had no way of escaping, particularly women, children and aged persons, many persons were still missing, displaced and had been killed in nearby villages.

“As a matter of fact, we are calling on the state and federal governments to expedite action on reclaiming Bama from the hands of terrorists, as those in captivity are under serious trauma, starvation and distress, with serious degrees of injuries, while on the other hand, those that have lost their lives are yet to be buried.

“Eleven days after the incident, no search and rescue operation has been conducted,” Hassan stated.
He appealed to the federal government to deploy more troops to Bama so that the people could go back and resettle in their communities.