The Nigerian Army has confirmed the killing of four soldiers in action in the insurgents’ attack on the Military Super Camp at Ngamdu along Damaturu Maiduguri highway.
In a statement released by the Media Information Officer Joint Task Force North East Operation HADIN KAI, Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba and made available to journalists in Maiduguri, the army said the insurgents were successfully repelled despite the heavy gunfire.
Though there were reports of eight soldiers paying the supreme price, the statement only confirmed four.
The statement reads in full:
“Troops of Operation HADIN KAI successfully repelled a coordinated terrorist attack in the Ngamdu general area, following a swift response by forces on ground and reinforcement elements from 29 Task Force Brigade.
“The terrorists employed Rocket Propelled Grenades (RPGs), armed drones, and command-initiated Improvised Explosive Devices, targeting troops and own platforms. Despite the intensity of the attack, troops held their ground and responded with superior firepower, inflicting significant losses on the terrorists.
“Unfortunately, own troops recorded 4 x Killed in Action (KIA) and 5 x Wounded in Action (WIA). Additionally, some Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles and Gun Trucks (GTs) sustained varying degrees of damage during the encounter.
“The terrorists attempted to prevent reinforcements and inflict further casualties by planting multiple IEDs along the Ngamdu–Damaturu Main Supply Route (MSR). This necessitated a temporary closure of the MSR, as engineers swiftly responded to clear 3 IED-laden spots. Following successful clearance, the MSR has now been reopened to both military and civilian movement.
“In response to the attack, troops were immediately resupplied with critical logistics, including MRAP tyres and ammunition, to sustain operations and restore full mobility.
“Credible intelligence confirms heavy terrorist casualties, with reports indicating mass burials of about 15 bodies conveyed in pushcarts by the terrorists for burial around Bula Wura, near Wasaram.
“As part of continued efforts to dominate the area, 29 Task Force Brigade has launched fighting patrols and exploitation operations aimed at denying the terrorists freedom of action and consolidating operational gains.
“The gallantry and resilience of the troops have been commended and the public assured that normalcy would be sustained with operations ongoing to maintain peace and security in the area,” the statement reads.
Meanwhile, the attack on Thursday had a grinding experience on travellers along Maiduguri- Damaturu Kano road as the army blocked the highway for more than seven hours.
Hundreds of travellers got stranded on the highway from both Maiduguri and Damaturu as they set out to reach their destinations.
Some of the travellers, especially those going to long distances like Bauchi, Jos, Abuja, Kano etc had to return as they couldn’t be able to make it to their destinations in good time.
Those who insisted on travelling had to remain on the road until around 1.00pm when the road was opened but with strict checks causing unusual gridlock at different check-point along the way.
Mustapha Yaya, a master’s degree student at University of Maiduguri who was traveling from Damaturu to Maiduguri couldn’t catch up with his lectures which were to commence by 2.0pm.
“It’s almost 1pm now and we are still held at Benishik which is about 80km to Maiduguri. I am not sure we will get out of this place in the next one hour because the road is blocked. I have missed out on my lectures today,” Mustapha informed.
A commercial driver, Abdullahi from Tasha Kano traveling to Abuja informed that he couldn’t proceed as all the passengers decided to call off their journey.
Checks revealed that until yesterday, the Maiduguri-Damaturu-Kano Highway had never witnessed any insurgents attack for more than three years now.
Many travellers expressed fear over the incident and called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to secure the highway for them.
“This is the only safe route that we have to Maiduguri at the moment. We have enjoyed relative peace on this road but this has made us scared again. We called on the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to secure this road for travelers,” Abubakar, one of the travelers informed.