Army claim to have thwarted attack on Babangida

The Nigerian Army says it foiled Boko Haram terrorists’ attempted attack on Babangida on Wednesday.

Babangida is a town in Yobe, North-East of Nigeria.

According to the army, the troops of Operation Hadin Kai foiled the attempted attack by Boko Haram and Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists.

Its spokesman Onyema Nwachukwu disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Abuja.

Mr. Nwachukwu said the terrorists, prowling for logistics replenishment, made futile efforts to infiltrate the town but were met with a fierce counterattack from the vigilant troops, forcing them to retreat in disarray.

The statement added that the “gallant troops” captured one gun truck, one Dushka anti-aircraft gun, two AK-47 rifles, and unprimed improvised explosive devices (IED) from the “fleeing” terrorists.

“Further exploitation by the troops is still ongoing. The dogged troops have been commended by the Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Farouk Yahaya, for their vigilance and swiftness in countering the attack,” the army statement added. “He also encouraged them to remain focused and avoid any form of distraction from the terrorists, who are desperate to make face-saving moves, having suffered enormous depletion in their ranks.”

The army further assured law-abiding residents of Yobe and others in the North-East its troops would soon “finally rout the Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists from their hideouts.”

The statement added, “They are also encouraged to continue to avail troops of actionable information that would enhance speedy execution of ongoing Counter-Terrorism Counter-Insurgency operations in the region.”