In what will keep being a heart-rendering memory in the war against terrorism by Nigeria’s military, the the troops of the joint task force (north-east) Operation Hadin Kai arrested a 15-year-old suspect over his alleged involvement in a deadly attack in Borno state.
The teenager, identified simply as Tijjani, was reportedly apprehended on Sunday on his way to purchase food for members of his deadly group.
According to Military sources, Tijjani confessed to having a link to the attack that led to the killing of the Commander of the 29 taskforce brigade under operation Hadin Kai, Brigadier General Oseni Braimah, and three other soldiers last Thursday, during an attack on a military base by suspected Boko Haram insurgents.
The suspect, who spoke in Hausa, said he participated in attacks on Benisheik and Ngamdu.
“Before the attack, we came from Jilli and returned there after the attack. I was sent from Jilli yesterday with N850,000 to collect some logistics from Ngamdu, but I was arrested by troops,” he said.
“Yesterday (Saturday), I left other fighters, my colleagues, at Jilli. I don’t know what happened to them there.”
Meanwhile reports emanating from SaharaReporters on Monday morning, claim that a serving Nigerian Army Colonel, has been killed in an ambush by Boko Haram insurgents, this time, in another coordinated overnight attack on a military formation in Monguno, Borno State.
According to the report, the senior officer was killed while leading a reinforcement mission to repel terrorists who had launched an attack on Sunday night, targeting a Forward Operating Base (FOB) under the 242 Battalion in Mungunu, which falls under Sector 3 of the military’s counter-insurgency operations.
“One of our senior commanders, Colonel I.A. Muhammad, was killed last night when Boko Haram attacked Monguno. They also killed some soldiers during the attack,” a soldier on the front lines told SaharaReporters.
SaharaReporters gathered that while advancing towards the frontline, the Colonel’s convoy drove into a deadly ambush laid by the insurgents, who had planted a remotely detonated explosive device along the route.
“He did not die inside the camp. He was on his way to support his men when Boko Haram fighters ambushed them with a controlled landmine. It was not the type you step on; it was detonated remotely at the exact moment his vehicle approached,” the source added.
The explosion reportedly killed the Colonel instantly, alongside a yet-to-be-confirmed number of soldiers accompanying him.
This comes a few days after terrorists attacked a military base in Benisheikh, Borno State, killing an unspecified number of soldiers, including a Brig. Gen., Oseni Braimah.
