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Tag: Troops

  • Troops kill 57 Boko Haram terrorists in Borno

    Troops of operation Lafiya Dole and the Multi-National Joint Task Force have killed at least 57 Boko Haram terrorists in Northern Borno State.

    Commander, air component of Operation Lafiya Dole, Air Commodore Charles Ohwo, confirmed the incident, while briefing journalists in Yola, Adamawa State.

    He said the insurgents were regrouping under trees when an Intelligence Surveillance and Reconnaissance platform of the air component caught them.

    He said the MNJTF troops later opened fire on them.

    He said, “In Arege village of northern Borno, on Monday, an ISR operation was carried out. We discovered that a lot of fleeing Boko Haram insurgents hid under trees and the adverse weather prevented us from taking them out in an air strike. So, we communicated with the MNJTF troops around the location.

    “In the fire fight which ensued, at least 57 Boko Haram members were killed by the MNJTF forces. Several arms and ammunition were also recovered from the insurgents.

    “In Tagoshe and Gwoza hills, there were also indications that the Boko Haram terrorists had hideouts and we mobilised the ISR platform to the place. We thereafter conducted air interdiction and blew up the terrorists. We have and will continue to monitor all these areas.”

  • Nigerian troops recover concealed terrorists’ corpses, grenades

    Nigerian troops have recovered bodies of terrorists, 36 hand grenades and one 12.7 X 108mm round of ammunition concealed by terrorists in the general area of Baga, Kangarwa and Dogonchikun in Borno.

    Brig.-Gen. Sani Usman, a Nigerian Army officer, disclosed this in a statement in Abuja.

    He said the troops of 119 Task Force Battalion of 7 Brigade on Operation Lafiya Dole uncovered the graves of the Boko Haram terrorists.

    Usman said the “shallow graves” contained corpses of terrorists that died after they escaped with gun wounds during an encounter with Nigerian troops on Jan. 13.

    “The troops have continued their patrols by dominating the general area of Baga, Kangarwa and Dogonchikun with a view to intercepting fleeing Boko Haram terrorists,” he said.

  • You have made us proud, Buhari tells Nigerian troops in Sambisa, Liberia

     

    President Muhammadu Buhari has congratulated the Nigerian troops presently battling Boko Haram sect in Sambisa forest as well as some troops on peacekeeping in Liberia for displaying unalloyed patriotism in the fight against terrorism in their duty posts.

    Buhari, who addressed the officers via separate video conferences on Sunday to mark this year’s Armed Forces Remembrance Day, enjoined the Nigerian troops to maintain the standard of discipline and efficiency.

    The President spoke to the Commanders in the three locations namely: Major General Victor Ezugwu, Acting GOC, 7 Division, Nigerian Army ( Sambisa Forest); Major General Salihu Uba, Force Commander for the United Nations Mission in Liberia (UNMIL) and Air Commodore Charles Owoh, Air Commander, Operation Lafiya Dole, Air Force Base Yola.

    Addressing the soldiers in Sambisa forest, Buhadi said, “Goodmorning officers and men of the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army. You have done Nigeria a great pride. Your success was received spontaneously by all Nigerians. I congratulate you and thank you very much for the honour done to the country and to us. Well done! I wish you and your families well and I hope that you are in touch with your families. I wish you more success and please maintain the standard of discipline and efficiency. Thank you very much indeed.” ‎

    In another video chat with the special forces in Liberia, Buhari said, “Good morning General [Salihu Uba, Force Commander for the United Nations Mission in Liberia]. We thank God and we thank technology. I can see you and I can hear you. I am impressed with the turnout of your men and I thank you for keeping the flag flying on the performance of Nigerian military in the United Nations peacekeeping operations. God willing as you briefed us, in 2018, the last contingent of Nigeria troops in Liberia will come back. I sincerely wish them a successful operation and I wish the General the best of luck.”

    The President also paid special tributes to the air forces personel in Yole.

    He said, “That was a good presentation. I get regular briefing from your Chief of Air Staff. Your performance speaks for itself and you have raised the morale of your colleagues in the military especially the army. With your hi-tech performance and platforms, we have been able to restore the sanity and the territorial integrity of Nigeria; I congratulate you. For the officers and men, you know you cannot be over-trained. With your hi-tech outfit, training has to be continuous and I am very pleased with the initiative that you have taken in maintenance of equipment. It is very encouraging and a boost to our morale here. I congratulate you and please pass my message to your families that we are very mindful of their patience and anxiety whenever you are in the field. Thank you very much indeed.”

    Earlier at the National Arcade in Abuja, President Muhammadu Buhari accompanied by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo, the Senate President, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, the Acting Chief Justice of Nigeria, the Service Chiefs and the Inspector-General of Police performed the Wreath Laying Ceremony for the 2017 Armed Forces Remembrance Day.

     

  • Our special forces already in Southern Kaduna to restore peace – Buratai

     

    The Nigerian Army says it has sent some of its troops to Southern Kaduna, as well as parts of Plateau and Kano states, to restore peace and order.

    The Military exercise is tagged “Operation Harbin Kunama 2”.

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, revealed this while speaking to State House correspondents, after a meeting in the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Thursday.

    He said: “Our troops are already in Southern Kaduna, we have our special forces operating there along with all other security agencies.

    “And we intend also to have an exercise very soon to cover some part of Plateau and indeed part of Kano state.

    “So, it is part of our strategy also this year to continue all the exercises we have had before.

    “We will be having exercise `Harbin Kunama 2’ which will come into Southern Kaduna (state), part of Plateau and part of Kano state, around Falgore forest.

    “And then, we have further exercise, Crocodile Smile in the Niger Delta, and indeed exercise Python Dance.”

    “But, we are going to rename that exercise Python Dance for the South East, this year,’’ he said.

     

  • Boko Haram: Buhari largely responsible for successes recorded so far – Buratai

    The Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Tukur Buratai, says Nigerian troops have penetrated deep into the Sambisa forest and are already doing well in their operations in the forest.

    Buratai made the disclosure on Thursday in Abuja in a remark after he decorated some of the newly-promoted senior officers with their new ranks.

    He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari for approving the elevation of the senior officers and for the support he had been giving to the Army.

    Buratai described the president’s support as “invaluable’’ and largely responsible for the successes being recorded by troops in the fight against the Boko Haram terrorists in the North-East and other operations.

    “We have resolved to maintain the pressure from all fronts, both in the North-East and southern part of the country, on any form of insurgency and militancy to ensure that our country is safe,’’ he said.

    Buratai noted that there had been “drastic changes’’ in operations and in areas of training, welfare and infrastructure since he assumed duty in 2015 as chief of army staff.

    The army chief charged the newly-promoted officers to rededicate themselves to duty, saying that promotion was a form of motivation and one of the key aspects of officers’ welfare.

    He said that in keeping with his vision of having a professional army to discharge its duty, he had sought to grant promotion opportunities to “serving and deserving’’ officers and soldiers.

    “For those promoted, you are the lucky few ones among many that were presented for consideration this year – 2016.

    “To whom much is given, much is expected,’’ he said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 21 Majors-General were decorated with their new rank at the occasion.

    Among those decorated with their new rank of Brigadier-General was the army spokesman, Sani Usman.

    NAN recalls that the Army Council had on Dec. 10 approved the promotion of 227 senior officers from various ranks to their next ranks.

    Twenty 21 Brigadiers-General moved to Majors-General, 93 Colonels, including Usman, moved to Brigadiers-General and 113 Lieutenant Colonels moved to Colonels in the exercise.