Boko Haram Kills Four Truck Drivers, Abducts Three Others Carrying Food for IDPs in Borno

By Michael Olugbode, in Maiduguri with agency report

A convoy of supplying trucks alleged to be of the United Nations World Food Programme carrying IDP foods on their way to Gamboru Ngala, came under attack at the weekend around Musuni village in northern Borno State.

An informed source within the humanitarian agencies in Borno confirmed that, the trucks may belong to the United Nations WFP.

He said although the WFP logistics department is yet to confirm if their trucks were attacked, but a signal has been sent from the military for the logistics department to confirm whether trucks that went out to supply food to IDPs in the northern Borno have reached their destination.

According to a source, the heavily armed group of Boko -Haram killed four drivers and took away three others together with one truck filled with food items for Ngala IDPs.

“The insurgents also burnt one truck as the soldiers escorting the trucks could not contain them,” he said.

He also said only UNWFP trucks carry supply to Ngala in northern Borno State while the Danish Refugee Council does the distribution on behalf of UNWFP and for that reason, the trucks attacked may not belong to any other agency, but the WFP.

Meanwhile, Boko Haram should see Nigerian troops and freeze, the soldiers currently engaged in counter-insurgency operation in the North-east have been told.

Speaking to soldiers on the frontline at the weekend, the commandant of the counter-insurgency operation, Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Rogers Nicholas, said Nigerian soldiers are highly respected across the globe world and it was never time to lose such respect to insurgents.

 He said: “We have been all over the world and highly rated. Untrained Boko Haram can never continue to be a threat to us.”

Nicholas, who visited operational bases in Dikwa (22 Brigade) and Mafa (112 Task Force Battalion) with the Theatre’s Maritime and Air Component Commanders, told the soldiers “never again should we lose anything to the insurgents.”

 He said: “We have been losing our equipment and men to Boko Haram, I cannot tolerate this.

 “We must go all out to this people once and for all and show them the might of the Nigerian military. We must make sure we defend this nation with the last drop of our blood. We must not lose anything to these insurgents again. We have no other country but Nigeria and we must fight for it.”

 Nicholas said he was ready to punish officer do does not take the task before them seriously, arguing that there is “no bad soldier, but bad officer. The officers should be seen to be very close to their soldiers. They must be ready to go into the trenches with them. You must be seen to be responsible to the soldiers.”

 He told the officers that “you must be seen to be commanding properly, my advice is to tell the junior commanders to always see that they lead their men well, and to do this you must always be seen to have interest in them.

“To always be with them even in the trenches and it is their work to see that the junior officers do their work well.”

He said he was ready to ensure they have wonderful yuletide, but he however told them that if they want to have the comfort of their home, then they should finish “with this operation soon, so that they can go home and be with their family.”

THISDAY who was on the entourage of the Theatre Commander gathered that peace has returned to both Mafa and Dikwa as the towns  now have a large presence of civilian population going about their economic activities.