Nigerian soldiers have rescued more women and children during a raid on Sambisa Forest, Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, has said.
In addition to the 293 ladies, comprising 200 girls and 93 women, rescued by the Special Forces during an earlier operation in the Sambisa Forest on Tuesday, about 160 more have been rescued on Wednesday.
The 293 are currently undergoing medical scrutiny and other preparatory measures for interrogation at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. The military has said they are not the Chibok girls.
Usman said in a statement: “Please recall that we promised to keep you abreast of troops’ progress in respect of Nigerian military’s ongoing operations to rid the country of terrorists and their enclaves.
“In line with that, I wish to inform you that today’s evening, troops of 7 Division Nigerian Army also cleared several terrorists strong points and training camps within Sambisa forest, Borno State, Nigeria.
“The troops have also rescued more women and children. They have been evacuated to a safety zone for further processing.
“During the encounter, unfortunately, we lost a soldier, while four others were wounded in action.
“The troops have also killed several Boko Haram field commanders and foot soldiers and destroyed two Armoured Personnel Carriers, two Buffalo vehicles mounted with Anti-Aircraft Guns, a truck and several Hilux vehicles.
“The gallant soldiers also recovered one Anti-Aircraft Gun, one General Purpose Machine Gun, one Rocket Propelled Grenade and several AK-47 rifles. Sadly, one woman died and eight other women sustained gunshot wounds. So far, the troops have destroyed nine terrorist camps in the forest.”
He said the Wulari Bukar, Gangala, Anguwar Bakwai and Jigide, Kotorima, Lagara Bello and Lagara Fulani camps of the terrorists were destroyed in addition to four others earlier destroyed by the military on Tuesday.
Jonathan Vow to Handover A Nigeria, Free of Terrorist Strongholds ,
President Goodluck Jonathan pledged Thursday in Abuja that he will do all within his powers to ensure that all Nigerian territory still held by terrorists and insurgents are totally liberated before 29th May.
Receiving a delegation of Heads of Customs from the West and Central African Region of the World Customs Organisation led by the Secretary-General of the organisation, Mr. Kunio Mikuriya, President Jonathan said that he was determined to hand over a country completely free of terrorist strongholds to the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari.
The President said that ongoing military operations in the North-East had already recorded huge successes, with two states completely free from the control of terrorists, while operations in the third state had reached a concluding stage.
“We can now say two states are completely free from terrorist control, while in the third state, it is only in one Local Government Area that they are still present. That is in the Sambisa Forest,” he said.
President Jonathan noted that the military had already moved into the forest to seize the remaining camps of the terrorists, adding that the recent rescue of about 300 abducted girls and women was further evidence of the success being achieved in the ongoing operation.
On his decision to concede victory to the President-elect, General Muhammadu Buhari, before all the results of the presidential elections were announced, President Jonathan said that elections must be approached from a nationalistic point of view.
“Our elections should be about where Nigeria is going. If Nigeria is moving forward, it is for the good of all Nigerians. My children and grandchildren will live and grow in this country and contribute to it.
“I always tell my colleagues to leave office when their time is up. We are trying to encourage African leaders not to remain in power as kings until death,’’ he said.
Mikuriya commended the President for supporting the reform of the Nigeria Customs Service, noting that other African countries had already started emulating the vision, strategy, adoption to new technology and result- oriented training of officers that were captured in Nigeria’s reforms.
