Army denies suicide bomb attack in IDPs camp, ambush on soldiers

The Nigerian Army on Tuesday dismissed as ‘misleading’, reports of a suicide bomb attack at an Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) camp in Pulka community of Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno.

The military also described as ‘fictitious’, the purported killing of six soldiers by Boko Haram insurgents in an ambush on Damboa Road.

Col. Onyema Nwachukwu, the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, Operation Lafiya Dole, gave the clarifications in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Maiduguri.

Nwachukwu disclosed that two suicide bombers infiltrated Pulka town on Monday, one of the bombers was neutralised by the troops, while the other one detonated an Improvised Explosive Device (IEDs) in the town, killed two persons and two others sustained injuries.

He said that a military vehicle stepped on an IED device planted on Damboa Road on Sunday, noting that two soldiers lost their lives in the incident.

“The incident in Pulka occurred inside the town and not at the IDPs camp. The gallant troops neutralised one of the attackers even before causing harm to any one, while the other suicide bomber detonated the explosive killing two persons and injuring two others.

“There was no ambush by the insurgents on our troops. The soldiers were involved in an IED explosion accident when their vehicle stepped on the device planted on the road.

“Two soldiers were involved in the incident; there was no ambush, no ammunition carted away or six soldiers killed, as being erroneously reported. It is a misrepresentation of facts,” he said.

Nwachukwu said that the military authorities had sympathised with the victims of the suicide bomb attack in Pulka, and reiterated its commitment to the protection of lives and property.

The army spokesman also called on the people in the region to be vigilant and provide useful information to the military on suspicious activities in their respective communities.

“Security and peace building is a collective responsibility; I call on community and religious leaders to mobilise their people and cooperate with the military in the fight against insurgency.

“Boko Haram insurgents do not wear uniform to easily identify them. People must be vigilant to report suspicious persons and contribute to the restoration of peace in the region,” he said.