Military kills five terrorists, rescues 180 hostages in Borno

• ‘Shekau’s purported video subject to forensic test’
• Space tech key to insurgency war, says agency
• USAID to commit N40b for IDPs’ needs

Troops of 7 Division Garrison and 112 Battalion of the Nigerian Army have killed five Boko Haram terrorists and rescued 180 hostages during a six-hour clean-up operation in five communities of Borno State.

The freed communities include Menari, Bulamari, Baale, Maafa, Zangebe and Kaltaram in Mafa Local Council of the state.

The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman in a statement yesterday in Maiduguri, said the successful clearance of the last remnants of the insurgents in the council was immensely aided by some civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in the Mafa-Dikwa axis.

Usman said the captives were rescued in Giltimari and Baale villages.

In a related development, the military authorities said it had taken for forensic analysis a video purportedly released by the sect leader, Abubakar Shekau, denying his dead claims and asking his fighters to embrace peace.

He was reportedly seen in the seven-minute video claiming that he was fulfilled, having done his part.

Recall that the military said he had been killed in one of the numerous bombings over seven months ago.

However, the Defence Headquarters has urged Nigerians to disregard the supposed olive branch, saying it’s a ploy to take the citizens off guard.

A late release yesterday by the Director, Defence Information (DDI), Brig.-Gen. Rabe Abubakar, urged the troops to continue the clearance of the remnants of the insurgents, adding that “the said video clips should, therefore, be discountenanced as it could be another ploy or antics of the terrorists to keep our innocent citizen off their current security alertness to maximise casualties if attacked.

“The Nigerian Armed Forces are now determined more than ever before to end this ugly trend,” he added.

Meanwhile, the Defence Space Agency yesterday identified space technology and capability as instrumental to winning the insurgency ‎ war.

Though its officials were economical with information, they, however, noted that technology was in use in the anti-terrorism fight in North East.

The disclosure came to the fore when the Director-General of the agency, Air Vice Marshal Victor Udo, led other top members of staff on a courtesy visit to the Minister of Science and Technology, Dr. Ogbonnaya Onu, in Abuja.

Also, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has called for the deployment of more medical personnel to the camps of internally displaced persons (IDPs) to improve healthcare services therein.

Its Director General, Sani Sidi, who made the call during a tour of IDP camps in Maiduguri, Borno State, frowned on the sordid state of affairs in Bakasi camp with 11,819 IDPs where 27 new births and 3,393 out-patient consultations were recorded last month with just one medical doctor from the UNICEF and few health personnel.