In what looked like a move to reinforce the troops fighting Boko
Haram terrorists in North-eastern Nigeria, the Nigerian army Monday night
deployed over 30 armoured tanks to Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States that were
recently ordered by the federal government to crush the insurgency. THISDAY
confirmed the movement of about two trailer loads of over 30 tanks around 9 pm
along the Abuja-Lokoja Expressway. This is just as the Borno youth vigilantes,
popularly known as the Civilian JTF, yesterday dispelled reports that Boko
Haram terrorists had taken over Bama, the second largest town in Borno State,
stating that it was the insurgents, who had recorded major casualties during
their fight with the military on Monday, losing 130 members with 35 others
arrested. The insurgents, who had launched an early dawn raid on Bama, were
repelled by the military and prevented from entering Maidugri, the state
capital. The tanks, which looked rusty with the “UN” inscription on them,
appeared to have been offloaded recently from the seaports and were heading
towards the north. Efforts to get confirmation from the Office of the National
Security Adviser (ONSA) and Defence Headquarters (DHQ) were futile as their
spokespersons could not be reached. However, an intelligent officer who spoke
to THISDAY on the issue said the tanks were disguised with the UN insignia on
them in order to conceal their place of origin.
Thisday Newspaper
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