How we foiled Boko Haram’s bid to rob bank

Successful military operations carried out this week foiled a major Boko Haram bank robbery, tackled armed banditry and prevented the sabotage of critical national economic assets, the Defence Headquarters has said.

In a statement issued yesterday, Defence Headquarters spokesman, Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, gave details of coordinated nationwide military operations in Adamawa, Zamfara, Benue, Delta and Nassarawa states, noting that several security threats were successfully neutralised.

“In its relentless effort to ensure adequate national security, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has been engrossed in tackling the menace of terrorism, insurgency, armed banditry and sabotage of critical national economic assets through coordinated military operations across the country, the statement said, adding that the DHQ had recorded “quite a number of operational successes over the week.”

Nwachukwu added: “Some of the successes recorded include repelling Boko Haram Terrorists (BHTs) attack on Michika Town in Michika Local Government Area (LGA), Adamawa State.

“The insurgents, who were on a looting mission for logistics, had attacked a bank and some shops in the area, damaging an Automated Teller Machine (ATM) and carting away food items.

“However, the insurgents ran out of luck when troops of 143 Battalion and 115 Task Force Brigade at neighbouring Lassa in Borno State mobilised to the area and engaged the insurgents in a fierce combat, forcing the insurgents to flee.

“The fleeing insurgents were again ambushed and neutralised by Special Forces troops at Maikadiri Village in Askira Uba LGA of Borno State. The gallant troops recovered one Hilux van, two Toyota Starlet cars loaded with looted foodstuff and motorcycles from the fleeing insurgents.

“Similarly, troops in Zamfara State have arrested an impostor parading himself as a military officer in Tundun Wada area of Gusau metropolis in Zamfara State. The suspect, who identified himself as Abdulresheed Sylvester, was arrested dressed up in military uniform with the rank of Major.

“In order to stem the menace of armed banditry in the North Central part of the country, troops of Operation Whirl Stroke conducted a raid operation on a suspected bandits’ camp at Dogo Gawa, a border community between Takum in Taraba State and Katsina-Ala in Benue State.

“In a shootout that ensued, the bandits who were overpowered by the superior firepower of the troops fled, abandoning their camp.

Read also: Boko Haram: I slept in tents to encourage my people return home – Borno monarch

“The gallant troops recovered one locally made riffle, one laptop, two cell phones, SIM cards, ATM cards and a sum of N400,000. The camp was subsequently destroyed by troops who are currently on the trail of the fleeing bandits,” he stated.

While soliciting public assistance with timely information that can help the military, he further stated that the operations of bandits, including illegal refining,were disrupted in military operations conducted this week.

He said: “Troops of Sector 3 of Operation Whirl Stroke deployed at Ondori in Doma LGA have raided a suspected militia hideout at Abuja Ogor, a local settlement in Doma LGA, Nasarawa State and recovered two AK 47 riffles with two empty magazines, one Clarion 5.56 Israeli Assault rifle mounted with a magazine.

“In another raid on bandits’ hideout in the same location, troops arrested two armed bandits with two AK 47 rifles, three magazines and 126 rounds of ammunition.

“In tackling the spate of economic sabotage of the nation’s key national economic asset, troops of 222 Battalion on routine patrol arrested two suspected pipeline vandals along Nigerian Petroleum Development Company (NPDC) pipeline around Isoko South LGA of Delta State; the suspects were arrested along with a tanker truck and 8 motorcycles while attempting to vandalize a petroleum pipeline.