Twitter is loving this picture of a Nigerian soldier

The picture of a Nigerian soldier rescuing an elderly man in the heat of battle with Boko Haram terrorists, has got Nigerians everywhere applauding.

The soldier in the middle of the picture has been identified as Lt. Asajun Ahmadu.

Soldiers have been rescuing plenty of hostages from the lair of Boko Haram terrorists.

The army says the picture was taken as soldiers engaged terrorists in a fierce gun battle in Gobara, a village in the Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

The image also made the front pages of the dailies on Monday, May 14, 2018.

Activist and journalist, Kayode Ogundamisi tweeted: “Nigerian Soldier rescuing elderly held hostage by Boko Haram terrorists in Gobara, a village in the Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State. They are real life heroes, they ignore the libellous tag of 'terrorist collaborators' and fight to keep terrorists at bay”.

Akpa Chigozie shared a tweet that read: “Think this is a Hollywood movie scene, well think again cause this is the scene of a gallant Nigerian soldier rescuing an old man from Boko Haram captivity. Kudos to our military , this is the real face of the Nigerian Army”.

“God bless our soldiers”, Oke Anye wrote.

But Michael Gozie wasn’t so impressed. “A Great Job, but the old man is writhing in pain. There should be a more appropriate way to carry him, he isn't a livestock. His fragile ribs could get broken. Those asking; a war zone journalist could have taken the picture easily".

Time to thank a soldier, perhaps?

Endless war

Nigeria has been battling the Boko Haram insurgency since 2009.

Boko Haram seeks to establish a hardline Islamic state in Northeast Nigeria.

The sect has killed at least 20,000 people and displaced millions from their homes since 2009.

Government officials and the military high command often say the terrorist group is now a spent force that has been defeated but there has been no let up in sporadic Boko Haram attacks in recent times.