How troops restored normalcy in Borno town invaded by Boko Haram – Official

The Nigerian Army on Sunday said it had restored total nomalcy in Gundubala and environs with combined effort of  troops of Operation Lafiya Dole deployed to the area.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that scores of jihadists in gun trucks and various caliber of arms, stormed the town and engaged in fierce battle that lasted for many hours with the troops.

Brig.-Gen. Texas Chukwu, Director Army Public Relations, who disclosed this in a statement in Maiduguri, said combined troops of 82 Division Task Force Brigade and 158 Task Force Battalion conducting Counter Insurgency Operations in North Eastern Nigeria, had encounter with Boko Haram insurgents in Gudumbali in Guzamala Local Government Area of Borno State.

 “The encounter took place when the insurgents attacked the community, set some buildings ablaze and quickly withdrew from the community.

However, no human casualty was  recorded in the encounter.

“The troops have regrouped and normalcy have been restored. The troops have also been reinforced with additional troops to dominate the general area.

“It will be recalled that Gudumbali is one of the communities in Borno that were recently reoccupied by Internally Displaced Persons who had voluntarily returned to their ancestral homes.

“The people of Gudumbali community and Guzamala Local Government in general are urged to remain calm and resilient as Operation Lafiya Dole troops tirelessly combat the terrorists.

“They are also implored to maintain high level of vigilance and monitor strange faces to prevent fleeing Boko Haram terrorists from infiltrating and hibernating in their communities.

“The good people of the North East are assured of the unalloyed resolve of troops of Operation Lafiya Dole to continue to combat the Boko Haram terrorists in the region,”Chukwu said.

NAN reports that the residents of Magumeri were yet to recover from the panic caused by Saturday’s attack, as many of them have relocated to Gubio and Monguno.

About 2,000 IDPs comprising of 200 households had returned to Guzamala to resettle and resume their traditional occupation of farming and fishing, as well as other socio-economic activities following relative peace.

But the peace was broken Saturday when scores of insurgents in gun trucks and bearing various calibre of arms stormed the town and engaged the troops in fierce battle that lasted for many hours.

Malam Bukar Mele, who escaped from the fighting, said the attackers invaded the town unexpectedly and asked the villagers to run away for their lives.

Mele said he immediately took his family and began running just as they (Boko Haram) instructed the residents, leaving behind his belongings.

“They told us in Kanuri to vacate the place so that what they came to do will not affect us. So we all took to our heels in different directions for safety,’’ he said.

Mr Abdul Bari, another local in the area, said the insurgents assured that they did not come with intention to kill civilians.

“Their target was the military and not civilians. This is what they told us as they ask us to get out of their sight within a blink of an eye. The insurgents were fully kitted with khaki and covered their faces.

“After one minute, they began shooting from the gun truck facing the military location. There were sounds of sporadic gunshots from many directions. I don’t know what happened but the army was engaging with the terrorists,” he said.