As the country battles the Boko Haram terrorists in the northeast, the Defence Minister, Magashi Bashir, has asked the troops of Operation Lafiya Dole not to fear any bullet from the terrorists. He gave the charge on Sunday during a visit to the Theatre Command in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, in the company of the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor and other service chiefs. “Don’t fear any bullet, the bullet will come and it will go,” he said. “If you are not meant to die by a bullet you will never die but if you are meant to die by a bullet, even in your bedroom bullet will come and reach you, which is what I experienced during service.” According to the Minister, the motive of the visit was to assess the fighting spirit of the troops of operation Lafiya Dole and also to motivate them. He also intimated the troops of the Federal Government’s plan to recruit more hands to relieve battle fatigued soldiers. Magashi added, “Very soon we will embark on the recruitment of other soldiers and officers so that we improve the manpower holding of our armed forces. “We will bring new equipment, new skills in which I will like all of you to benefit from to enable you to be more proficient, more effective in this assignment you’re doing. We have lost time; we are now almost ten years in this operation. “There are many other operations that we are doing in terms of banditry and other things in this country and I am sure that given the right tools, you will do this country proud. We believe in you, your training, professionalism and we believe you can do the country the requirements of beating the Boko haram as we have it now.”

attacked a Nigerian military base in Kamuya, Borno state, the home village of retired army chief, Lt.General Tukur Buratai. In the attack, the insurgents dislodged Nigerian troops and killed five of them. Wire reports said the attack was carried out on Friday, just a few days after the insurgents attacked Damasak near the Niger border. No fewer than four soldiers were also injured in the attack in Kamuya and dozens more have not been accounted for. Kamuya village is located 35 kilometres (22 miles) from regional district Biu. The village has been repeatedly targeted by jihadists, prompting the setting up of a base to end the attacks. “The terrorists killed five soldiers and injured four others in the attack on the Kamuya base,” a military officer told the French news agency, AFP. The insurgents sacked the base, forcing troops to withdraw in disarray, said a second military officer, who gave the same toll. “So far 41 troops have returned while 58 are still missing and are presumed to have escaped the attack,” said the second military officer. Search and rescue operation was ongoing to “locate the missing soldiers”, the officer added. ISWAP has focused on targeting military installations and troops since it split from mainstream Boko Haram in 2016 and rose to become a dominant group. More than 20 people were killed following days of attacks on the town of Damasak this week where the militants burnt offices of international aid agencies and several homes. The attacks have forced 65,000 residents to flee into neighbouring Niger, according to the UN.

Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have arrested a suspected Boko Haram informant in Kamuya, Yobe State. According to a statement issued on Sunday by the Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Mohammed Yerima, the suspect was identified as Modu Ari. The army spokesman said the informant whose spying activities and that of his accomplices were responsible for the attacks on troops position by terrorists in the state. “On interrogation, he confessed to having revealed troops’ movements and position to his Boko Haram collaborators,” the statement partly read. “Investigation is however ongoing to unravel the network of local informants whose nefarious activities have endangered troops on clearance operations around the fringes of Timbuktu Triangle.” The army spokesman said the unfortunate sabotage of troops movement by Ari and his accomplices made it possible for the terrorists to attack the rear element of troops on patrol. He stated that troops from the Tactical Headquarters of 27 Task Force Brigade and Army Super Camp 3 Buratai repelled the attack, stressing that their own troops suffered some casualties. Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff has encouraged troops of Operation Tura Takaibango to keep their fighting spirit up and to remain dedicated in the effort to flush out the remnants of the terrorists as quickly as possible. He charged them not to relent even in the face of gross unpatriotic acts of some locals who are snitching on their movements and positions. The COAS also admonished citizens to as a matter of patriotic duty, avail the troops of credible and timely information that will help them flush out the adversaries.

The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, has urged the Department of State Security, DSS, to immediately invite the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, for questioning over alleged affiliations with the Taliban and Al-Qaeda. The party also asked President Muhammadu Buhari to the minister, given the sensitivity of the issue at stake. The party’s position was contained in a statement signed by its spokesman, Kola Ologbondiyan on Sunday. “Our party’s position is predicated on the heightening concerns in the public space and in the international arena of possible compromises by the communication Minister, who has access to sensitive government documents and information, in addition to data of all individuals including high profile personalities in the public and private sectors as well as the traditional and faith-based circles. “The PDP is particularly worried about allegations in the public suggesting that the minister compromised the National Identification Number, NIN registration exercise by giving room for the registration of aliens and invaders from other countries as our citizens. “The party tasks the DSS to investigate the allegation, which has created apprehension, particularly given the rise in banditry and other terrorist activities in our country. “The PDP urges Nigerians to remain at alert and very sensitive to their environment, while not hesitating in providing useful information to our security agencies in the interest of our nation,” the statement read.