The number of anti-aircraft guns and rocket-propelled grenades recovered after President Gooodluck Jonathan’s visit to Borno State are indications of plans by the Boko Haram Islamist sect to hack down the president, the Nigerian Military has said.
On Friday after the president’s departure, three anti-aircraft guns, two technical vehicles mounted with anti-aircraft stands, 10 rocket propelled grenades, 17 AK rifles, general purpose machine guns, three G3 rifles, 20 RPG bombs, 12 RPG chargers, 1 x 36 handheld grenades, one tear gas rifle, 33 AK 47 magazines, 11 FN magazines, three G 3 magazines and 11,068 assorted ammunitions were recovered in Maiduguri, the hothouse of the group’s activities in the state and the country.
According to Spokesman for the JTF in Borno State, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa, who spoke in a release obtained by Huhuonline.com on Sunday, intelligence information helped to foil the plan against Jonathan, who was visiting two cities in northeastern Nigeria for the first time since 2010, despite the series of attacks on Christians, education institutions and security agencies.
“Based on information and intelligence report, series of operations were conducted by the Joint Task Force Operation RESTORE ORDER in the last 10 days in Borno State,” Musa said in the release.
“The latest was the one conducted at Bulabulin, Bayern Quarters and Jajeri in Maiduguri metropolis between 3 – 8 pm yesterday Friday, 8th February, 2013. During these operations under the period stated, there were exchange of fire that led to the death of 52 Boko Haram members including ten commanders of the sect. 70 terrorists were also arrested.”
Musa disclosed that in the period under review, the JTF lost two men; and three were wounded while no civilian casualty was recorded.
“The task force wishes to thank members of the public, particularly our moles in the Boko Haram’s camp for giving us the information that assisted in the successes so far recorded,” he added.
“Thus, members of the public are reminded to continue to give credible and timely information to security agencies to combat insecurity.”
Already, security agencies have begun investigations into the source of the weapons, after observing the devastation that their sheer size and quality could cause.
