Local Vigilantes in the Nigerian state of Adamawa said they fought alongside Nigerian soldiers on Tuesday night to kill 150 Boko Haram militants and rescue 36 children and women captives of the group in the country’s northeast.
The civilian self defence force, called Civilian JTF said they went to the Madagali and Gwoza areas acting on intelligence that the extremists were planning a large attack.
Bukar Jimeta said his volunteer force killed at least 150 militants and recovered guns and explosives used in suicide bombings that have killed hundreds in recent months.
Civilian hunter Young Morris said they rescued 36 kidnapped children and women.
Their account however differed from that given by the Commanding Officer in charge of 28 Taskforce Battalion, Mubi, Adamawa, Brig.-Gen V. O. Ezugwu.
He only confirmed the killing of two Boko Haram insurgents and the rescue of 16 families in Madagali.
Ezugwu said more than 100 cows were recovered alongside two AK 47, six grenade, two pump action machine guns and 18 motorcycles from the fleeing insurgents.
He said the motorcycles were all destroyed.
The officer lauded the complementary effort of vigilante members in the area for their support to the military.
Of recent, Boko Haram insurgents had been attacking villages in Madagali local government area.
Rep. Adamu Kamale of Madagali/Michilka Federal Constituency commended the effort of the troops and urged the Federal Government to urgently deploy more troops to the area to effectively check the renewed menace of the insurgents.