No fewer than 167 members of Boko Haram, who were reported to be fleeing from the war zone in the Northeast have been captured around Lake Chad Island by the Nigerian soldiers operating Lafiya Dole.
A statement by the Deputy Director Public Relations in the
Theatre Command Operation, Lafiya Dole, Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, said that several other insurgents were killed.
The statement said that the success achieved in clearing the insurgents came on the heels of intensified offensive launched against them in their enclaves in the Islands around the Lake Chad region.
“The offensive, which commenced about two weeks ago with coordinated air and artillery bombardments on Boko Haram enclaves while ground troops moved in to clear the areas, is yielding positive results, as several insurgents have been killed and 167 insurgents who were fleeing from the offensive have been captured by troops.”
The statement said that soldiers also extricated and profiled 67 women and 173 children who revealed during profiling exercise that they are family members of insurgents who fled, following the offensive.
It said that arrangement is ongoing to hand them over to IDP camp authorities after preliminary investigations are concluded.
The statement said that soldiers, have, in the past two months, sustained the precursor operations and have conducted long-range fighting patrols and ambushes seeking out and clearing Boko Haram’s hideouts in Saada and Juwei in the fringes of Northern Borno. “During the operations, troops intercepted and arrested 53 fleeing insurgents who have been profiled and are currently helping with investigations.
“Fifteen insurgents have also willingly abandoned the insurgent group, describing it as a futile struggle and have surrendered to troops of Operation Lafiya Dole within the period.”[myad]
