… Insurgents now hide in foxholes 

From Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri

CHIEF of Defence Staff, Gen. Gabriel Olonisakin declared yesterday that the military will wipe out Boko Haram from Nigeria.

Olonisakin told newsmen in Maiduguri, Borno State, after a closed-door meeting with service chiefs at the Theatre Command headquarters of Operation Lafiya Dole that troops are currently engaged in offensive aimed at wiping out the insurgents.

He also said the military aims to clear Boko Haram from Sambisa forest and that the offensive, codenamed Operation Crackdown entered its fifth day on Sunday.

The CDS, who met with the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur Buratai and the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar and the Theatre Commander, Maj Gen Lucky Irabor, said he was in Maiduguri with the service chiefs to reappraise the level of performance of troops in the operation.

“I’m here with the service chiefs to reappraise the level of performance in the operation. That operation is actually to clear Sambisa of all Boko Haram terrorists,” he said. He assured Nigerians that the military was determined to wipe off Boko Haram from the country. He said they have appraised the operation, adding that the appraisal would address some issues being faced by troops to “sustain the momentum.”

He said rescue operation of all abductees, including the Chibok schoolgirls, was part of the current operation. He solicited for the support of all Nigerians to end Boko Haram.

Meanwhile, the army disclosed yesterday that fleeing Boko Haram fighters now hide in foxholes in villages around the North East as troops regain control over areas that were previous held by the terrorist group.

Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, said in a statement yesterday that nine Boko Haram fighters, who tried to hide in foxholes in one of the villages, were dug out, identified, and captured alive by troops from 22 Brigade Garrison on Operation Lafiya Dole. Three other terrorists who engaged the troops in a gun battle during the operation in the village were killed, Usman said. The incident, according to the army, happened on Sunday, and the villages cleared by the troops were Cinga, Mallum Maja, Bosuma and Murye.