Boko Haram insurgents ‘trapped in Sambisa’

Members of the Boko Haram sect have been confined to Sambisa forest, their stronghold in Borno state, according to the army.

Lucky Irabor, theatre commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, said this at a news conference.

Irabor said it has become impossible for the insurgents to get out of the forest or have access to civilisation to get any supply.

“What we have now done is to reduce the capacity they have in Sambisa and the same way they have made it difficult for us to reach them, we have also made life unbearable for them,” he said.

“If they remain there they are on their own but if they come out and surrender we are here to receive them.”

Irabor said that the rains have placed terrain limitations on troops’ operations, but gave assurance that the soldiers were on course.

Meanwhile, Sani Usman, army spokesman, has said troops have been making progress in operations across the north-east.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Usman said more Boko Haram hideouts are being cleared and scores of suspected insurgents killed.

Usman said the insurgents’ enclaves in 13 villages in Bama and a village in Abadam local government areas of Borno were cleared during the joint operations conducted between Wednesday and Thursday, and that 225 hostages were rescued in separate operations across the state.

“Troops of 26 Battalion, 151 Task Force Battalion, 155 Task Force Battalion and some elements of 21 Brigade have carried out a joint clearance operations,” the statement read.

“The operations were aimed to destroy remnants of Boko Haram terrorists camps and enclaves in the early hours of today in several villages in Bama Local Government Area of Borno State.”

He said troops recovered N466,000 cash, different cache of arms and ammunition, and other items in the last 48 hours of clearance operations in Borno alone.