More facts have emerged on Wednesday night’s attack by Boko Haram on Geidam town in Yobe State.
Findings reveal that the suspected Boko Haram terrorists plotted a successful decoy and infiltrated the town, after parking their vehicles at the outskirts of the town before entering the community by foot.
It was also gathered that the insurgents planted themselves at strategic locations as the Geidam market was bubbly, with a coordinated plan, waiting until the time was ripe for them to strike.
Narrating the plan of the insurgents, the State Police Public Relation Officer, Dungus Abdulkarim, said the insurgents were sighted at around 1pm and the rumour went fast and almost disrupted the market activities as people tried to run away.
However, they decided to discard the rumours and went back to their activities in the market, unknown to everyone that Boko Haram members were executing another plan to attack.
“Around 1 pm, the insurgents were sighted at the outskirts of Geidam. The rumour spread throughout the market and people started running out. But between the hours of 2.30 pm nothing happened and people re-converged at the market and started carrying out their normal business activities. But the security agents were on red alert.
“Unknown to the community, Boko Haram abandoned their vehicles at the outskirts of the town and entered by foot and pinned down at strategic locations until about 5.30pm. They started attacking the town and went straight to the house of the District Head and abducted him. They now went to the house of the former chairman and set it ablaze, while the other one(s) launched attacks on shops, (carting) away food and medicine,” Mr Abdulkarim said.
While giving other details of the attack, the police spokesperson said, “A stray bullet hit a little girl and she is admitted at the general hospital for treatment and she is responding.
“They also went to one Lawani House but couldn’t enter. Probably they thought he was not inside again or they decided to just leave him, we don’t know.
“We have a Hilux vehicle burnt with two people, in our possession now. My police are saying they are Boko Haram but we are not certain about that. There are two persons burnt in the vehicle.
“Those nurses were not abducted but they were used by the insurgents to give quick treatment to their members that were wounded. After the treatment, they were not taken away so you cannot say that was an abduction. This is what I gathered from the police’s detailed investigation.”
In the wake of the attack and the damage caused to shop owners and residents of Geidam, the state governor, Mala Buni, has ordered the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to move into Geidam and provide immediate livelihood support to victims, as well as take assessment of the destruction.
In a statement signed by the spokesperson of the governor, Mamman Mohammed, he commiserated with the people of Geidam over the incident, which he described as “unfortunate”.
“The attack came at a time when there is general improvement in peace and security across the state.
“The general improvement in security and support provided by (the) government has given our people the opportunity to gradually resettle and reclaim their means of livelihood,” the statement said.
The governor was also quoted as saying that, “the attack would not deter (the) government in its efforts to rebuild, reconstruct and rehabilitate communities initially destroyed by insurgency.
Army launches operation TURA TAKAIBANGO
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army on Thursday launched a fresh Operation, TURA TAKAIBANGO, against Boko Haram.
The move came after the military came under heavy criticism, the recent of which was from the former governor of Borno State, Kashim Shettima, now a serving senator.
The Operation, which is named in Hausa language, could be literally translated as “pushed to the wall”.
The new operation is expected to tackle the emerging threats and renewed offensive of BTH/ISWAP in the northeast region.
The Chief of Training and Operations Nigerian Army, NE Angbazo, who represented the Chief of Army Staff, TY Buratai, at the maiden press briefing to mark the official launching of the operation at the 27 Brigade Tactical Headquarters Buni Gari, Yobe State, said the operation will smoke the insurgents from their hideouts and neutralise them.
“Operation TUKA TAKAIBANGO has become more expedient as it will boost the efforts by troops of the Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole to enable the Nigeria Army to deal with the emerging threats of the BHT/ISWAP with the North eastern part of the country. The operation is meant to be theatre wide, targeting known insurgents’ enclaves/hideouts for neutralization and clearance. At the end of the operation, it is envisaged that citizens will be free to move about, conduct their farming and other businesses in a safe and secured atmosphere devoid of any insurgents’ threat and harassment,” Mr Angbazo explained.
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