Deserted villa ‘evidence B’Haram has lost Dikwa’

Charred vehicles, dirty mattresses, and a deserted villa still hoisting Boko Haram flag are evidences of Boko Haram’s defeat in Dikwa, a town 80km east of Maiduguri, capital of Borno state, Reuters is reporting.

According to the news agency, Chadian soldiers are claiming victory over Boko Haram in Dikwa after a major clash in the north-eastern town.

It quoted Azem Bermandoa, a Chadian army spokesman, as saying that the deserted house was their stronghold, but the insurgents “came to hide” as the Chadian army advanced.

The deserted house was filled with dirty mattresses and charred vehicles, and lined with blood as well as bodies laid in a wardrobe.

“They resisted ferociously. This huge villa was their command centre,” a Chadian soldier involved in the conquest said.

Chadian soldiers revealed that they would have attacked this town since February but Nigerian authorities stopped them, wanting to claim the victory but the closest they have gone is 50km to the town.

Bermandoa said one Chadian soldier was killed and 34 were injured after a suicide bomber blew up himself after jumping into a truck carrying canisters of gas.

He also said more than 100 Boko Haram fighters were killed.

Ryan Cummings, chief Africa analyst at crisis management group Red24, said the victory would starve the insurgent group of armed supplies.

“The major challenge that the Nigerian army faced was that Dikwa served as forward base for Boko Haram and was readily being supplied with resources and combatants from Boko Haram positions along the Nigeria-Cameroon border,” he said.

In February, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Benin and Cameroon constituted an 8,700-man regional army to battle Boko Haram, and have since then recorded notable victories over the sect.