Attempts by terrorists to attack Ajiri and Mafa as well as other communities on the outskirts of Maiduguri and Dikwa in Borno state towards the Cameroon borders were foiled by the security forces, the Defence Headquarters said yesterday.
The Director of Defence Information (DDI), Major General Chris Olukolade, indicated in a statement that an ambush mounted by the insurgents to enable them unleash terror on the communities unchallenged was also cleared by troops on reinforcement mission.
He said: “Arms captured from the terrorists include various brands of machine guns and improvised explosive devices. Twenty insurgents died in the encounter, while own troops sustained varying degrees of injuries. Also, more camps were destroyed yesterday in encounters at various forests and mountain locations around Adamawa and Borno states.”
The military also raised concern about inflammatory comments by some people in government and commentators in and outside which was aimed at painting the military in bad light.
The statement said: “The Defence Headquarters has noted with grave concern the inflammatory pronouncements by some highly placed persons in government and some apparently sponsored commentators in and outside the country who have consistently given false and misleading remarks to describe the disposition of troops in the ongoing operations.
“It has become clear that this sustained campaign is intended to demoralize the troops and give impression that the military is overwhelmed by the terrorist group. This tendency is unfortunate, to say the least.
“For the avoidance of any doubt, it is hereby restated that the Nigerian military cannot by any standard be overwhelmed by the insurgents, neither will the devious antics of their sympathisers and sponsors demoralize the fighting spirit of troops.
“Nigerians and indeed all well-wishers are enjoined to discountenance the propaganda messages of the terrorists and their backers alleging the inability of Nigerians troops to handle the insurgency.”
