Military recovers lost weapons from Boko Haram

 • France sends advisers to Nigeria’s border

FIERCE counter-terrorism operations carried out with Chad, Niger and Cameroun have led to the recovery of the weapons captured by terrorists during their attack on the Multinational Taskforce Headquarters in Baga, as well as the towns and villages the insurgents had taken.

  This was disclosed in a statement by the media consultant to the government, PR-Nigeria, which said: “It would be recalled that a leader of Boko Haram had, in a video released shortly after the Baga attack, boasted that his band captured world-class sophisticated weaponry from Nigerian troops, who he referred to as cowards.

   “During these battles, some of the weapons captured from the troops some weeks ago were recovered by Nigerian fighters. 

   “Among the recovered weapons is a Battle Armoured Tank equipped with comprehensive protective system and maximum firing distance and accuracy, with anti-aircraft rotating mount. Its fire accuracy is attained by range-finder, ballistic computer with a thermal barrel sleeve.

   “Several other weapons, arms and ammunition, including a variety of armoured vehicles and artillery guns as well as several Hilux vehicles were also captured from them.”

   It further listed the towns recaptured to include “Gamboru-Ngala, Malamfatori, Abadam, Kirawa, Ashigashiya and Michika while the liberation of Gwaoza, Gulak and others might be announced any moment from now.”

   However, PR-Nigeria said that though a reliable security source confirmed the death of a top-ranking leader during the air raid, its authenticity was still being investigated by military authorities. He was said to be one of the senior officers in the terrorist group’s command.

 About 3,600 soldiers from , Chad , Niger and Cameroun have been deployed alongside the Nigerian component of the Multi National Joint Task Force(MNJTF) to fight Boko Haram.

    According to agency reports, Chad with 2, 500 soldiers contributed the largest number of troops to the new offensive, while the other countries, Niger and Cameroun are offering 700 and 400 troops respectively. 

  A source at the Defence Headquarters said the meeting is to discuss further tactical military alliance between the two countries in order to completely quell the terrorist activities in the north-east, as it has become “obvious that the threat is not only to Nigeria but the region surrounding the Lake Chad Basin and the West Africa sub-region in general.”

 Meanwhile, a meeting between Nigeria’s Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), Air Marshal Alex Badeh, and his Chadian counterpart, Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Seid Mahamat, earlier scheduled for yesterday, was called off. 

  It was due to the Council of State meeting yesterday.

  It has been rescheduled for 8.00 a.m today.

  And Reuters, quoting a French army official, said yesterday that Paris has sent military advisers to Niger’s southern border with Nigeria to help coordinate military action by regional powers fighting the Islamist group Boko Haram,.

   The deployment was announced as warplanes pounded Boko Haram positions just over the border in Nigeria, a resident in the Niger town of Bosso said, and hundreds of Chadian troops massed at the frontier to prepare an attack.

   Chad has sent about 2,500 troops as part of efforts to take on the militant group, which has intensified its fight to set up a breakaway Islamist state in Nigeria and has staged cross-border raids. Chadian troops crossed into Nigeria this week from Cameroon, on the southern side of Lake Chad.

  A French army official told Reuters a detachment of about 10 military personnel had been stationed in Diffa at the request of Niger, its former colony.

“It is there to coordinate the armies on the ground in the fight against Boko Haram,” the official said.

 The African Union (AU) has authorized a force of 7,500 troops from Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Benin to fight the militants. It is expected to seek a United Nations Security Council mandate, which could also include logistical support from other countries.