Army clears Boko Haram spiritual headquarters, rescues 567 hostages

dimeji akinloye

March 29, 2016 6:59 PM

They achieved the feat after weeks of coordinated clearance operations between ground forces and the Nigerian Airforce in neighbouring villages.

Soldiers on anti-Boko Haram operation in Borno State

The Nigerian Army has rid Alagarno village in

The village is known to be the spiritual headquarters of the terrorists.

The Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Lucky Irabor disclosed this at a news conference in Maiduguri.

He said that 567 civilians held hostage were also freed and several weapons recovered.

According to the commander, troops in the theatre have been conducting clearing operations on a daily basis aimed at destroying the terrorists still staying in some local government areas and rescue people still in captivity.

He also said troops of 81 task force battalion conducted preliminary operations in Boko Haram camps in Kumala, Dole, Kumasi and Moudire villages all around the fringes before launching into Alagarno.

READ: Army kill 7 terrorists in ambush

The 27 Task Force Brigade also conducted series of operations leading to the recovery of an Armoured Personnel Carrier (APC) snatched by the terrorists in July 2015, the General said.

It was gathered that the APC which is now unserviceable and partially burnt by fleeing insurgents was discovered near a riverbed in Bolgore and has since been moved to an unknown destination in Yobe State.

Irabor stressed that the recently released supposed video of Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau, where he called on his followers to surrender did not stop the troops assault on the terrorists' hideouts.

“Our gallant troops are determined to completely wipe out all terrorists from our country,” he maintined.

The Theatre Command of Operation Lafiya Dole also sent out a warning to repentant Boko Haram members hoping to filter into liberated towns where locals are returning to reintegrate back into their communities.

Irabor warned returning locals against harbouring and giving criminals cover, while advising repentant terrorists to turn themselves in to security operatives.

“Report yourself to the security agencies and the process would be followed. The assurance I am giving to every one of them is that they would be humanely treated in accordance with the best practices which is a component of our rules of engagement,” he said.

He listed Kumshe, Kalabalge, Mainati, Yoyo and Kikinuwa among villages successfully captured by home troops in conjunction with the Multinational Joint Task Force with little resistance from the weakened terrorists.

dimeji akinloye