Some of the Nigerian soldiers that fled to Cameroon following a fierce battle with Boko Haram militants in locations around Borno and Adamawa states have returned as residents of Mubi town in Adamawa State reported seeing tired and tattered-looking soldiers arrive.
The residents said they saw several soldiers, wearing torn uniforms and gloomy faces, returned in the wee hours of Tuesday. The residents suspect that the returning soldiers were among the 500 soldiers that fled to Cameroon on Monday. A resident, Joseph Baba, said “we saw some of them purchasing second hand clothes at the Mubi main market”. ‘’Initially, we were afraid. People panicked when we sighted the troops.
They arrived in the wee hours and people began to scamper for safety because no one knew their mission. I even thought they were Boko Haram disguised in military uniform as the insurgents usually do,” Mr. Baba said. Nigerian soldiers on the battle field often complain about being under equipped to face Boko Haram insurgents. On Monday, the soldiers retreated and sought refuge in Cameroon in what the military authorities later described as tactical manoeuvre. The spokesperson for the Defence Headquarters, Chris Olukolade, could not be reached Tuesday to confirm the return of the soldiers.
He did not answer or return calls. But Mr. Olukolade had said in a statement Monday that the troops were “on their way back to join their unit in Nigeria”. However, an hour after this report was published, the Defence Headquarters issued a brief statement confirming the return of the soldiers. It said the “troops who returned from Cameroon were today addressed by the General Officer Commanding 3 Division, Major General Zaruwa as they embarked on another mission in the Counter Terrorism campaign”.
All the soldiers are in high spirit with all their weapons and equipment intact, the statement added. In a video released on Sunday, which also showed scenes of Nigerian soldiers running for safety and arms recovered from Nigerian soldiers, Abubakar Shekau, the sect leader congratulated his fighters for seizing the town of Gwoza earlier this month. Defy curfew, Boko Haram says Meanwhile, residents of Madagali town in Adamawa State said Boko Haram insurgents told them to defy the 24-hour curfew imposed by the state government.
Acting Governor Umar Fintiri on Sunday announced the curfew after Boko Haram’s fighters invaded the town, which shares a boundary with Borno town- Gwoza, seized by the insurgents. Residents said the insurgents, who move freely in the town, brandishing their guns, asked them to continue with their normal businesses, without fear of attack. “They asked us to ignore the 24-hour curfew, promising not to attack us. They (Boko Haram) told us that they are not after us now; rather, they are pursuing troops being deployed,” a resident of the town, who asked not to be named, said.
Refugees in Cameroon With reports of swelling numbers of displaced persons and insufficient camps, some residents who crossed over to Cameroon have allegedly been arrested by Cameroonian security operatives. “Many residents are now on the hilltops, while those that were able to cross to Cameroon are reported to have been arrested by Cameroonian security operatives,” a source, who did not want to be named for security reasons, told Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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hahahahahahaaaaaaaaa...........very funny and corrupt country. corrupt leaders, let dem keep deceiving themselves all in the name of politics destroying there fathers land.
ReplyDeleteShame on Nigeria Solders,all they know is to be doing gragra to Civilian and violationg law,running on BRT lane,now to face BOKO ARAM,they fled.Shame on u.
ReplyDeletesoldier go soldier come
ReplyDeleteIf You Read It Properly You Would Have Come Across A Place Whereby Nigerian Soldiers Complained About Lack Of Weapons & Ammunitions
ReplyDeletePls. Direct any blames to johnathan nd d heads of nigeria armies nd live d poor soldiers alone. Those guys were under armed to fight the militants who are well equiped. So blame Johnathan nd d northern leaders either.
ReplyDeleteWeelcome SOLDIER BOYS from Ur TACTICAL RETREAT from a battle zone to peaceful MUBI.
ReplyDeleteWELL DONE GUYS, WELL DONE.
That is tge level of corruption in Nigeria, in that we don't even have any integrity, more African countries are overtaken Nigeria gradually in everything. If many of these thieves who sees red and call it white are not eliminated, we wont be able to fight common flies not to talk of boko wahala...the northerners have crippled the country for so long in all perspectives, it's now that it's reflecting. When many young people from other regions wanted to joing Nigerian military force, the idiots at the top keep given north the entire place in the name of quota, now here is the result.
ReplyDeleteBro, I completely agree with Ur views. My northern ellite are responsible 80% of the rot in this country. I concur totally. Nice coment keep it up, but pls review Ur identity by signing in with Ur gmail account or creat one if U dont have.ሸ
Deletelet all of you nt t b fooled by shekau's video, and by d unpetrotic reports of nigeria media
ReplyDeletefor me , it is beter to recieve a shame than to be late . my soldier u na well done jari
ReplyDeletewelkome home our rogged is not ur fault but of d government
ReplyDeleteSome guys are just too funny with their comments while some comments are totally out of context. The likes of the Anonymous 27Aug14 0919am would do well to go and join the army to participate in the fight against the BH so as to have the taste of what it takes to fight in a battle front. I’m very sure that if he were to be there he would not only run away, he would desert completely. These soldiers were said to run away and now they are back, if it were this guy, he would not come back again. Their return has clearly proved that they did not run away as erroneously believed or reported in the media. As a matter of fact if they actually run, there is nothing wrong in a force adopting a tactical withdrawal in order to re-strategize if it’s faced by a superior fire power or it’s outnumbered by the enemy strength. This calls to mind one of the late Bob Marley song tracks ‘he who fights and run away lives to fight another day’. ab
ReplyDelete