Army confirms, destroys Boko Haram’s rocket-making factory

After a two-week old denial of the existence of a Boko Haram run rocket making factory in Bama, Borno State, the Nigerian military finally admitted the factory existed.

In a statement issued today the Nigerian military disclosed how troops of 21 Brigade, assisted with aerial cover by the Air Force  discovered and destroyed the rocket factory.

“Troops of 21 Brigade Nigerian Army, while on offensive operations on Boko Haram terrorists location, with the support from the Nigerian Airforce discovered and destroyed the terrorists’ Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and Rocket making factory along Bama-Gonin Kurmi within the outskirts of Bama town, Borno State.

“The items recovered includes gas cylinders, welding machine, pipes and poles. Others include locally made rocket shells, large quantity of assorted chemicals, unprimed IEDs and various technical and laboratory equipment suspected to be stolen from schools’ laboratories around Bama before they were dislodged from the area.

“The Theatre Commander operation LAFIYA DOLE, Major General Yusha’u Mahmood Abubakar, commended the efforts of the troops and implored troops and the public to be more vigilant and security conscious particularly at all check points, markets, worship centres, motor parks and schools.”

On November 2, the BBC reported that it got photographs of Boko Haram rocket factory in Bama.(Read here)According to the BBC, an inscription on one of machineries shows the abbreviation of the Government Technical College in Bama/

A day after Nigeria’s military flatly denied the existence of any  such factory on Nigeria’s territory and said the so-called factory was not real.

Colonel Sani Usman,  spokesman of the army maintained on 3 November  that the said town had long been captured by the military.

“Bama was recaptured by 21 Brigade Nigerian army on March 16, 2015 from the Boko Haram terrorists,” he said.

“They went further to also recapture Banki from the terrorists. In fact, the chief of army staff was with the troops in Bama last Friday. So what are you talking about? Please do not give to the desperate antics of Boko Haram terrorists and their sympathisers.”