Camerounian forces hand over B’Haram suspects to Nigerian soldiers

Troops rescue 112 people in joint operation
THE combined efforts of the Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF) in the ongoing counter-insurgency in the Northeast, has continued to yield results as the Commander of 121 Task Force Battalion received two suspected terrorists handed over to him by Camerounian forces, even as 112 people were rescued from the insurgents in joint operations.

The operation which took place in Kirawa, near the border of the two countries was carried out by troops of the 26 Task Force Brigade and their Camerounian counterparts.

A statement from the spokesman of the Nigerian Army , Colonel Sani Usman issued yesterday in Abuja said the Commander of the 1 Battalion of the Camerounian Forces paid a courtesy call on Commander of the 121 Task Force Battalion in Pulka to “further consolidate on the cordial relationship, as the visiting unit assisted with the demining of a section of the road between Kirawa Junction to Pulka and handed over two suspected Boko Haram terrorists to the Nigerian unit.”

The statement explains that “one of the visiting unit’s vehicle ran into an Improvised Explosive Device (IED), buried along Pulka-Ngoshe road which led to an officer and eight soldiers sustaining injuries. Unfortunately, the officer died while being evacuated to Douala by air.

We wish to commiserate with the Camerou nian forces for the incident and the demise of the officer.
“Similarly, troops of 113 Battalion on patrol to Ngwala cleared Boko Haram terrorists’ camps at Ngorta and Aritimie villages.

The troops also came across the terrorists’ market in the area. However, on sighting the troops the terrorists ran and abandoned their supplies.The troops continue the cordon and search to ensure that the area around Ngwala was free of the insurgents. In the course of this, two pick up vehicles and 12 motorcycles belonging to the fleeing Boko Haram terrorists were recovered.
The market has been closed indefinitely.”

Although it is yet to ascertained if any of the rescued eight men, 36 women and 68 were involved in terrorist activities, the statement said they would be profiled as appropriate.

It would be recalled that The Guardian had reported in the past that, apart from Chad Republic, which is yet to fulfill her own part of the agreement of the Multi National Joint Task Force(MNJTF) that countries of the Lake Chad Basin should contribute troops to the counter insurgency operations, other countries have lived up to the agreement so far.