In what looked like a move to reinforce the troops fighting Boko Haram terrorists in North-eastern Nigeria, the Nigerian army Monday night deployed over 30 armoured tanks to Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States that were recently ordered by the federal government to crush the insurgency.
THISDAY confirmed the movement of about two trailer loads of over 30 tanks around 9 pm along the Abuja-Lokoja Expressway.
This is just as the Borno youth vigilantes, popularly known as the Civilian JTF, yesterday dispelled reports that Boko Haram terrorists had taken over Bama, the second largest town in Borno State, stating that it was the insurgents, who had recorded major casualties during their fight with the military on Monday, losing 130 members with 35 others arrested.
The insurgents, who had launched an early dawn raid on Bama, were repelled by the military and prevented from entering Maidugri, the state capital.
The tanks, which looked rusty with the “UN” inscription on them, appeared to have been offloaded recently from the seaports and were heading towards the north.
Efforts to get confirmation from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and Defence Headquarters (DHQ) were futile as their spokespersons could not be reached.
However, an intelligent officer who spoke to THISDAY on the issue said the tanks were disguised with the UN insignia on them in order to conceal their place of origin.
In May this year, ABC News, an American television network, had reported that the federal government, through ONSA, had hired a powerful Washington lobbyist to press its case for the release of intelligence on Boko Haram and to persuade the Barack Obama administration to donate non-lethal equipment.
The report stated that two months before Boko Haram was designated a Foreign Terrorist Organisation (FTO) by the US in November 2013, ONSA signed a $3 million-a-year contract with K Street firm Patton Boggs to “provide comprehensive security advice, including the donation of excess military and law enforcement equipment”, according to documents filed with the US Justice Department under the Foreign Agents Registration Act.
Patton Boggs was also reported to have asked for non-lethal protective hardware to be donated to Nigeria such as mine-resistant armoured personnel vehicles, night vision goggles and communications equipment from Iraq and Afghanistan stockpiles left over from the US’ war in the countries.
Meanwhile, the Borno youth vigilante group has dispelled news reports that the Boko Haram insurgents had taken control of Bama.
They said instead, it was the group that suffered massive casualties during the gun battle with the military on Monday, losing 130 persons with 35 others arrested.
At a press briefing in Maiduguri, spokesman of the Civilian JTF, who is also the legal adviser to the group, Mr. Jibrin Gunda, said: “We categorically refute the statement credited to Senator Ahmed Zanna, the senator representing Borno Central on the BBC Hausa service that Boko Haram had captured Bama.
“News has filtered most especially on foreign media to which we want to clearly state that our security personnel are doing their best and yesterday our gallant soldiers successfully repelled the insurgents that attacked Bama.
“Bama as a town in Borno State has never been overrun or overtaken by the insurgents even for a minute, even as of now our soldiers are in full control of the town.
http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/military-takes-delivery-of-new-hardware-insurgents-death-toll-rises-to-130-in-bama/188056/
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