• We’ll hunt down the terrorists, says DHQ
Military sources have revealed that the highly specialised operation by
the Joint Task Force (JTF) to hunt down the leader of the Boko Haram
Islamic sect, Sheikh Abubakar Shekau,
believed to be holed up in Gwoza hills in Borno State was unsuccessful
as a result of the difficult terrain.
The operation, which took
place last month, however, claimed the life of Major A.T. Fambiya on
June 26, 2013. Fambiya was one the two officers and 13 soldiers recently
given national burial at the military cemetery in Abuja.
A military
source told THISDAY that Fambiya was co-opted into the operation
because of his knowledge of the area, having hailed from Gwoza town.
“However, like the Tora Bora mountainous caves in Afghanistan where
Osama Bin Laden hid before he later escaped from the US onslaught; the
operation to capture Shekau was not successful because of the bad
terrain”, the source said.
The source declined to give details,
saying that would be exposing “high security issues,” adding, however,
that the area around Gwoza hills was dotted with lots of caves.
“I
want to tell you that there is a massive deployment of troops in that
area but we did not succeed because you know there are lots of caves. I
just know that, as at this moment, I don’t see him still being confined
there”.
However, another military source said Shekau might have been
confined to a location where the military are in constant knowledge of
his movement and that efforts are in top gear to capture him in spite of
the failure of last month’s operation.
The source said the Boko
Haram leader is being figured out by the military and that his days are
numbered as they are ever determined to finish the job despite the
difficult environment around him.
“Yes we can confirm that the goon
is cornered and his days as a terrorist are certainly numbered. It’s not
going to be easy though because Gwoza hill is a very long stretch of
hilly terrain but the good thing is that the troops have an idea of
exactly how to go about finishing the job,” the source added.
The
Director of Defence Information (DDI), Brig-Gen. Chris Olukolade, while
responding to THISDAY enquiries on the issue last night refused to talk
on the matter but said reports of the JTF operations would be made
available as and when due.
Olukolade warned journalists against
reporting on operational issues that could jeopardise the military and
security strategies, citing a report in one of the national dailies as
an example.
He vowed that the military would pursue the terrorists
with vigour until they are captured, killed or forced to surrender
unconditionally according to the mandate of the emergency rule
proclamation.
He said: “All I can say at the moment is that the
mandate given to the security forces to hunt down all terrorists or
insurgents is being pursued with all necessary vigour and sense of duty
and responsibility.
“Every vital breakthrough recorded in the process will continue to be duly communicated to Nigerians as and when appropriate.
“There is no need to engage in speculation that could jeopardise the
integrity of ongoing operations or mislead our citizens please.”
The
military had waved off claims by the Presidential Committee on Amnesty
that it had reached ceasefire agreement with the Boko Haram, and had
instead vowed to crush the insurgents.
According to one of the military sources, “the main target now is to take out Shekau, and that is a matter of time now”.
Source: Thisday
