Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have
given a notice of attack to the 233 Battalion of the Nigerian Army based
at Kukareta Barracks in Damaturu, Yobe State.
The
sect was said to have expressed its resolve to attack Damaturu on August
9. Also known as the Special Operations Battalion of the 3 Division,
Nigerian Army, the formation is headed by a commanding officer who was
said to have received a letter by Boko Haram stating its intentions.
It was gathered that the
letter was received between Tuesday and Friday last week. In June,
soldiers of the battalion were said to have uncovered a terrorist cell
within the state capital, Damaturu. The cell was yet to be raided for
certain reasons. One, the commanders were careful of picking a date for
the raid for fears that a “mole” within the Army could leak the
information to insurgents. Secondly, the infantry soldiers were said to
have advised that men of the Air Force be sent to “shell” the cell
before ground troops would be sent in.
READ MORE AFTER THE CUT.............................
Already, security operatives are said
to be on the high-alert while as at weekend, the General Officer
Commanding GOC of the 3 Division, Maj.-Gen. J.S. Zaruwa, was said to be
in Yobe. The battalion is still under the 3 Division in Jos despite the
creation last year of the 7 Division in Maiduguri, which is closer to
Damaturu.
“We just received a letter from BH
that they are coming for a visit at Damaturu on the 9th of this month”,
said a soldier who did not want his name mentioned. The soldier, who
was livid with rage, said 25 of his colleagues were killed in Buni Yadi
area of the state last week. He also lamented that some of his mates
were currently deserting the Army since it became obvious that the
Federal Government and the military high command had not demonstrated
enough resolve to tackle the menace.
He said since the beginning of this year, “those idiots (terrorists) have attacked our camp more than six times in both Goniri and Buni Yadi and they always kill soldiers and policemen, yet the government and Army see no reason to solve the problem”. He said except for the Army’s respect for the rules of engagement, his colleagues would have since wiped off both villages. “The worst of it is that those guys went and bombed the big bridge that leads to the village, Buni Yadi, so that we in the town will not be able to go in, while our soldiers there will not be able to come to the town except they pass through Adamawa State, which is a long distance”. The source, however, said the Army was ready to stave off any attack.
He said since the beginning of this year, “those idiots (terrorists) have attacked our camp more than six times in both Goniri and Buni Yadi and they always kill soldiers and policemen, yet the government and Army see no reason to solve the problem”. He said except for the Army’s respect for the rules of engagement, his colleagues would have since wiped off both villages. “The worst of it is that those guys went and bombed the big bridge that leads to the village, Buni Yadi, so that we in the town will not be able to go in, while our soldiers there will not be able to come to the town except they pass through Adamawa State, which is a long distance”. The source, however, said the Army was ready to stave off any attack.
Since 2012, terrorists have launched
brazen attacks on Yobe State. While some of the attacks targeted
security formations, others targeted unarmed civilians, including
teenage secondary school students. Buni Yadi, Goniri, Potiskum have
witnessed increased terror attacks.
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