The leader of the Boko Haram Islamic
sect, Sheikh Abubakar Shekau, may have been cornered by operatives of
the Joint Task Force in Gwoza hills, Borno State.
A top security source told Saturday PUNCH on Thursday that the JTF had located the area where the Boko Haram leader was hiding.
The source stated, “We are combing Gwoza hills where we believe Shekau is hiding.”
The source added that a unit of the
Army’s Special Forces team had launched a “well-coordinated assault” on a
group of insurgents somewhere in the Gwoza hills areas on June 26,
2013. Shekau, the source added, was in the group of Islamists, with some
of his closest aides.
He added that the operation ran into
“hitches” and in the ensuing gun battle some of the insurgents and
members of the Special Forces group lost their lives.
Another military source told Saturday PUNCH
that one of the army casualties was one of the country’s best Special
Forces officer, Major A.T. Fambiya, who had volunteered to lead the
operation.
Sources told Saturday PUNCH five soldiers were also gunned down by the insurgents during the encounter.
Fambiya, who hailed from Gwoza Local
Government Area of Borno State, had reportedly volunteered for the
mission because of his excellent knowledge of the area.
The source said the military authorities
had accepted Fambiya’s offer because he had grown up in the area and he
understood the area’s rocky terrain.
Fambiya, who was on posting to the 322
Artillery Regiment in Benin City, Edo State, was redeployed to the JTF
on June 13, 2013, a few weeks into his deployment to the JTF’s Operation
Boyona.
A brief biography of the late soldier
presented by the Nigerian Army authorities during his burial at the
Nigerian Military Cemetery, Abuja on Thursday stated that he “was killed
in action on 26 June in a fierce encounter with Boko Haram terrorists.”
The secrecy surrounding the operation
made the next of kin to the Major, a pastor, Iliya Joshua, to call on
the Federal Government to investigate the cause of the death of his
brother.
“We call on the Federal Government to
investigate the rumoured cause of the death of the officers since it
remains a mystery to our family,” he said, without giving any
explanation about what he meant by “rumoured death”.
Iliya later told our correspondent that
he made the call to the Federal Government and the military authorities
to investigate the deaths because his brother was not supposed to be in
Borno.
He said that the late major was supposed
to be undergoing training at the Nigerian Army School of Artillery,
Kantagora, Niger State.
He said, “I made the call because he was
supposed to be at the Army school of artillery. The last time I called
him, he said that he was not part of those people that were going to
Maiduguri for this operation.
“But later, I was told that he had been killed. He was not supposed to be on posting to that place.”
When our correspondent contacted the
Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen Chris Olukolade, he said that
the mandate of the JTF was to look for all insurgents and not just the
leader of the Boko Haram sect.
“We know that we are combing everywhere
for every insurgent. The pursuit of the insurgents is continuing. That
is the mandate at the moment,” he said.
President Goodluck Jonathan had told the
CNN a few days ago that the Boko Haram threat would be overcome by
security operatives in the country.
He said that the Federal Government was
neither negotiating nor begging the Islamic militants as steps were
being taken to deal decisively with the scourge.
He had said, “We are not negotiating with Boko Haram. It is done all over the world. It is not negotiation. We are not begging.
“Our security architecture was first
designed to deal with ordinary criminals but since terror started, we
have been building it. I believe if you are to interview me again in
three months’ time, you will praise me that this government has tried.
“We are tackling terror from various
angles. We must first of all stop them through military intervention,
which we have initiated by declaring a state of emergency in three
states where these terror attacks are predominant.”
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NE, let me ask you a very conscientious question. Honestly speaking revealing the names of security operatives and thier date of enrollment, is it of beneficial interest to the on going operation as your contribution to security of lives of those who have sworn to protect us?.... Im still trying to decipher your interest in the fabric of true journalism.
ReplyDeleteMay the Soul of our Dear Fambiya rest in peace. I want to also give GOD thanks because Boko Haram is gradually becoming a thing of the past.
ReplyDeleteAfter the threat of making Nigeria Ungovernable BH started, it will get to them all. (Sponsor's)
So these BOKO guys still dey ACTIVE? How manage dem KILL the MAJOR-Wey suppose dey LEAD the OPERATION?
ReplyDeleteI smell RAT 4 this OPERATION O!
Who killed d major? I smell rat here. Hw can a major get killed dat easyly? We need answers pls.
ReplyDeleteI think some of soldiers are stil BH members....betrayers
ReplyDeleteIs it an army of noise makers or action men?Wiz dis publicity d aim of d ops is jeopardised.I 've a doubt on it's success.Pls be on more action & less noise making on future ops. Tana Alpha.
ReplyDeleteI hope this military action will be TOTAL. Every known apologist & sponsors of BH should be investigated, given short trial, convicted, tied to d stakes & executed even with a thousand bullets & NEVER buried. Their wicked & HELL fire bound lives are not better than many useful innocent souls they have mischieviously & cruelly wasted by their mindless & childish mission.
ReplyDeleteThe information is very detailed . We don't even need the detailed information on their modus operandi . All we need is just results and nothing more . Pls let's be wise in divulging important information in order not to put the lives of our security operatives in jeopardy .
ReplyDeleteLet the army fumigate the Gwoza Hills after intense areal scanning to pin down those idiots. They should also be deprived of supplies so that they can starve in their hideout. The military should be more careful and tactical cos those guys are heavily armed and are not scared of death. No matter how long, Aluta continua, Victoria acerta!
ReplyDelete