The Defence headquarters Sunday disclosed that Air Force pounding of identified terrorists’ hideouts is continuing in some locations in Yobe and Borno States as part of ongoing campaign against terror.
Director of Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade in a statement said “Several sorties are being flown either in conjunction with ongoing ground assault by troops or to dislodge any concentration of terrorists as follow up to intelligence reports.
“Simultaneous mopping up operations are also ongoing in the areas already operated upon by Nigerian Air Force have already been mopped up” he added.
Also, Nigerian troops are currently battling Boko Haram terrorists in a determined bid to retake Damasak, a border town between Nigeria and Niger Republic.
The battle for the retake of the town is being waged by Nigerian troops in conjunction with the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF).
Damasak is one of the boisterous border towns of Borno State, where farm produce like beans, pepper and tomatoes are produced in commercial quantity, close to Diffa in Niger Republic and was seized by the terrorists in November last year as part of Boko Haram campaign to create an illusory caliphate.
Recall that Boko Haram terrorists attacked Damasak and Ashigarchi towns in Mobbar local government area of Borno in their hundreds killing over 50 persons in Damasak alone on November 15, 2014.
The sect members according to military sources, drove in Hillux vans and motor bikes into the town burning vehicles, houses and forcing hundreds of residents to flee to the Cameroonian borders.
Top security sources confirmed that the ongoing battle, which commenced hours ago has put a lie to reports last week that the town was recaptured by forces of a foreign country collaborating in the Multinational Joint Task Force.
Meanwhile, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has said that members of the National Youths Service Corps (NYSC) are actively involved in the distribution of relief materials to victims of terrorism in liberated communities in the North-East.
“The corps members who came from various backgrounds and states in Nigeria have demonstrated great commitment and courage in their places of service in the North-Eastern Nigeria” NEMA said.
As a result of the gains recorded by the military in liberating communities under occupation of insurgents, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) engaged the service of the corps members and other volunteer groups in the massive relief operation in various Internally Displaced Persons’ camps to bolster previous interventions in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe state.
A statement by the Zonal Information Officer of NEMA in North-East, Mr. Abdulkadir Ibrahim disclosed that the contributions of youth corps members and other groups including Red Cross and Civilian JTF have improved the relief distributions in various camps.
While addressing Internally Displaced Persons in one of the camps in Maiduguri, the Zonal Coordinator of NEMA, Muhammed Kanar said: “as soon as Nigerian troops recover and rehabilitate communities from terrorists and guarantee security of life and property, NEMA collaborates with the stakeholders in ensuring that the people are resettled by adequate provision of humanitarian services.”
More truckloads of relief materials have been transported to various rehabilitated communities and Internally Displaced Persons camps in the North-East. The items include food, medicament, bedding, clothing, soaps among others.
Kanar added that “While the agency provides books and other educational aids for the schools in the camps, the youth corps members teach pupils and students in the Internally Displaced People Camps in various communities.”
