Boko Haram insurgents have resorted to using internationally banned cluster bombs, according to the defence headquarters.
Rabe Abubakar, defence spokesman, disclosed this on Thursday, warning residents of the north-east to be on the lookout.
“Nigerians living in the northeast and any other parts of the country to be on the lookout for cluster bombs sometimes called scatter bombs as the Nigeria army engineers serving in Adamawa state had recovered some caches of these bombs in the contested areas in recent time,” read a statement issued by Abubakar.
“The military high command has discovered that the Boko Haram terrorists (BHT) in the areas have used such lethal instruments over time to push their callous terrorist cause.
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“For easy identification, it is important to note that cluster bombs are bombs that house submunitions, that is, smaller explosives contained in individual cases. These bombs are used against large areas containing many targets, such as columns of vehicles, marketplaces, places of worship or large troop concentration as the case may be.
“Some cluster bombs carry several hundred of very small explosives wrapped in a metal container like a pot while others carry larger submunitions that can find specific targets such as tanks.
“Some of these submunitions do not blow up immediately, but remain behind and act as landmines. This can be an acceptable explanation for the recovery of caches of these bombs by Nigeria army engineers in the area.
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“The public is hereby requested to be wary of such concealed dangerous equipment now being used by the terrorist elements to cause havoc to both innocent lives and property. The public is also advised to report such objects/materials if seen to security agencies for prompt action. The terrorists are desperate and frustrated and could use any cruel instrument to actualise their evil intention.”
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