Old suicide bomber kills 3 CJTF members in Borno attack

Three members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) were killed when an elderly Boko Haram terrorist detonated a suicide bomb vest around a telephone mast in Konduga, Borno state on Wednesday, May 16, 2018.

According to a statement signed by the Deputy Director of Public Relations, Theatre Command Operation Lafiya Dole, Colonel Onyema Nwachukwu, on Thursday, May 17, the man had pretended to be weak and detonated a suicide vest contained in a bag he was carrying while being searched by the security operatives.

The statement read, "An aged Boko Haram terrorist yesterday killed himself in a suicide bomb attack around a telephone mast in Konduga in Borno state. The elderly man pretending to be weak and feeble was being searched by men of the Civilian Joint Task Force, when he detonated a suicide vest contained in a bag he was carrying.

"Unfortunately three Civilian Joint Task Force members paid the supreme price in the incident. The wounded have been evacuated for medical attention. Our hearts go out to those who lost their lives as well as those injured in the callous attack."

Colonel Nwachukwu warned that the devious method of the attack points to a variation in the tactics of Boko Haram terrorists to infiltrate communities and towns to mindlessly attack vulnerable and soft targets.

He said, "Aside using women and children, the terrorists are now engaging the aged in suicide bombing as witnessed in this recent incident. They have also been detected to now appear clean and well dressed to look unsuspicious and enable them gain access to targets marked for suicide attack.

"Some of the terrorists have also been found to now conceal their suicide vests by wearing it on the thigh rather than the waist to appear less bulky and evade detection when searched."

He warned members of the public to be more vigilant in their activities to not become a victim of Boko Haram's attacks.

Combined troops of Operation Lafiya Dole and the Cameroonian Defence Forces also rescued four men, 33 women and 16 children from Boko Haram hideouts in Borno state on Wednesday.

Their rescue comes just over a week after troops rescued 1000 people held hostage by Boko Haram in four villages in Bama local government area of Borno state.