THEATRE Commander Operation Lafia Dole, Major General Rogers Nicholas has said that no civilian life was lost during a recent Ambush in Dikwa by Boko Haram on humanitarian convoy carrying food items to Ngala.
General Nicholas also said that no food item was taken by the Boko Haram as it was eventually escorted to its destination by troops after the short battle.
Nicholas who spoke exclusively with the Tribune in Maiduguri said that he was actually in Dikwa when the incident occured and could tell what really happened and was sure nothing of that happened as alleged by food agency.
“Indeed as fate would have it, I can confirm to you that there was an ambush but no civilians were killed and we equally did not loose any soldier in that village” said Nicholas in his Marmalari office, Monday afternoon.
He was reacting to a report that four people were killed when a United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) convoy was ambushed by Boko Haram insurgents who are desperate for food to maintain their lingering stay in the Sambisa forest and the Lake Chad islands.
General Nichola told the Nigerian Tribune that he was aware of the grim fact that the northeast is under renewed threats especially of suicidists which is why he was hitting the ground running by sensitisation of his troops to the new mantra to fight back and chase the enemy out of their way.
“I have observed that there were lots of lapses including complacency and leadership issues which is why i need them to understand that this war needs a change of posturing for us to make more progress.
“I have instructed that the officers should always be with their men at all times. There should not be any disconnect between an officer and a soldier. Every officer must be in the trenches with their men and be on red alert to fight back at all times.”
On the safety of roads which is hampering the return of internally displaced people idps, he said, we have been making efforts to clear the roads and we wish to advise the civil authorities not to be afraid by making efforts to get to their villages.
“I want people to develop confidence and be involved in keeping the peace with us which is very essential in moving from where we are now to where we want to be soonest.
“We are not stopping our appeal to people here, we are also reaching out to the Boko Haram members who we want to drop their weapons and embrace peace.” Said Nicholas.
Nicholas who took over after the six months tenure of his predecessor Ibrahim Attahiru confirmed that “hundreds of insurgents have surrendered since he took over the reigns of authority over the theatre less than a month ago”
Hundreds of soldiers have lost their lives fighting to protect the people from the desperation of the Boko Haram insurgents whose aim is to take over the entire northeast of the country and restore their twisted type of Sharia law after suspending the constitution.
Intelligence sources have confirmed that the insurgents are believed to have very powerful banrolls who fly them money and sophisticated weapons in the night to enable them achieve their campaign to implement their laws on the northeast of the country in a war which is getting to its ninth year with about twenty five thousand souls killed.
The fight has given rise to three factions of the insurgents with two in Nigeria while one is out in Cameroon wasting precious lives and turning women and children to sex slaves when they raid villages.
While residents of Maiduguri wait for the final peace to be restored, impeccable security sources allege that one of the faction here is believed to be in a position to release three staff of the University of Maiduguri it abducted with the sum of a hundred million naira if the ongoing bargaining is concluded.
“But I cannot tell you how far they have gone with the talks through the mediator who is supposed to negotiate for Dr Solomon and his colleagues to come home.” Said our source.
He was also not sure more Chibok girls would be released before the end of this year after the last set of eighty two.
Meanwhile it is clear that the police ladies captured by Shekau and his boys will spend Christmas in the Sambisa as no efforts have been made by the government to get them out of captivity.
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