Thursday, 28th March 2024
To guardian.ng
Search

Attack on Zulum’s convoy claims four soldiers, 10 policemen, four civilians

By Azimazi Momoh Jimoh, Kanayo Umeh, Segun Olaniyi (Abuja) and Danjuma Michael (Katsina)
28 September 2020   |   4:07 am
The Defence Headquarters, yesterday, said four soldiers, 10 policemen and four civilians were killed in the weekend’s attack by the Boko Haram sect on the convoy of Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State.

• APC govs, PDP kick, military kills bandit, arrests 13 in Zamfara
The Defence Headquarters, yesterday, said four soldiers, 10 policemen and four civilians were killed in the weekend’s attack by the Boko Haram sect on the convoy of Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State.

Coordinator of Defence Media Operations (DMO), Maj.-Gen. John Enenche, in a statement clarified that an entourage of Borno State Civilians Relocation Committee was ambushed by the terrorists at Barwati village, adding that the assault was “successfully repelled by the gallant troops.”

“Sadly, a total of 18 lives, including four soldiers, 10 policemen and four civilians were lost during the sad incident,” he said.

According to him, “troops on hot pursuit of the insurgents successfully recovered three vehicles. Two of them belonged to the Nigeria Police Force that were earlier carted away by the terrorists during the attack. Similarly, one BHT gun truck was also captured.”

He explained that the casualties followed the explosion from the multiple improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted on the road by the terrorists.

Enenche added that the military has deployed bomb and IED disposal teams to scan the routes and prevent future occurrence.

HOWEVER, the Progressive Governors’ Forum (PGF) has canvassed concerted efforts against insurgency.

Its chairman and chief executive of Kebbi State, Atiku Bagudu, who spoke against the backdrop of the assault on their Borno colleague, urged the Federal Government to immediately provide more logistical support to security agencies in the state for speedy restoration of peace in the North East.

Also, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) condemned the onslaught, adding that “the repeated attack on the governor as well as the rising wave of terrorist attacks reinforce apprehensions of security compromises and lapses, which call for immediate rejigging of the nation’s security structure.”

The position was contained in a statement issued by its national publicity secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan.

IN the same vein, troops of Operation Sahel Sanity have killed a bandit and inflicted injuries on several at Dayau village in Kaura Namoda council area of Zamfara State.

A statement yesterday by Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Benard Onyeuko, said the killing came few days after the military neutralised 21 hoodlums during a shootout.

The spokesman said the soldiers arrested 13 suspects, four cattle rustlers, two informants and rescued two captives.

Besides, two locally made guns, 10 motorcycles, three axes, a sword, two mobile phones, a knife, N10,000 cash and herds of cattle were recovered.

Onyeuko stated that the criminals’ hideout was also destroyed by his men.

IN a related development, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) has applauded the British parliamentarians that took Nigeria to the Commonwealth demanding its expulsion over alleged “genocides against Christians.”

The rights group described the “as the best international action against the series of failures by the President Muhammadu Buhari government to arrest and prosecute terrorists and armed Fulani herdsmen killing of Christians and locals.”

HURIWA, in a statement issued yesterday in Abuja by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko and National Media Affairs Director, Zainab Yusuf, stated: “Recall that the British lawmakers had in a letter dated September 14, 2020 and addressed to Patricia Scotland, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, noted that the failure of the Federal Government to protect Nigerians was a breach of its obligations under the Commonwealth Charter.

“Those who signed the letter to the Commonwealth scribe include Baroness Cox, Lord Alton of Liverpool, Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws QC, Jim Shannon, Lord Williams of Oystermouth (a former Archbishop of Canterbury) and Lord Carey of Clifton, also a former Archbishop of Canterbury.”

0 Comments