Defence Headquarters
•Bomb blast damage at THISDAY’s Abuja
complex shocks committee
Patrick Ugeh and
Senator Iroegbu in Abuja
The Nigerian Army has rebuffed claims
by some online media websites that it
lost over 40 soldiers, while 65 others
were missing in a surprise ambush by
Boko Haram insurgents at Kafiya Forest
of Borno State.
In a statement issued yesterday, the army
said during the incident, over 150
members of the sect were killed while 15
soldiers and one officer died in action,
with nine others missing.
The Director of Army Public Relations
(DAPR), Brig-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, also
disclosed that a key commander of the
insurgents, one Abba Goroma was also
killed.
Attahiru described Goroma as a high
value target, on whose head had been
placed a N10-million bounty.
“A chief insurgent commander, Abba
Goroma, was killed. If you recall, he had
a N10-million bounty placed on his head.
He is a high value target of the terrorist
organisation,” he said.
On the high casualty figures recorded by
its soldiers, he said the online reports
were grossly exaggerated and should be
discountenanced.
“I advise you to discountenance that
report. I want to tell you that that report
is not true. Yes, there was an encounter
between us and members of Boko Haram
insurgents but the casualties you read
must be discountenanced," he said.
The army spokesman, however, did admit
that there was fierce fight between the
troops of 81 Battalion from the new 7
Division of the Nigerian Army and
members of Boko Haram on September
12, but insisted it was the insurgents that
sustained the high casualties.
He said despite the spirited resistance by
the terrorist group, the troops of the
Nigerian Army were able to dislodge them
from their Kafiya Forest camp bases,
which he added was one of their
remaining safe havens.
Attahiru said: “There was an encounter
between us and the insurgents at Kafiya
Forest. On September 12, 2013, troops of
the 81 Battalion, under the 7 Division of
the Nigerian Army, carried out a
deliberate attack by assaulting the enemy
camp, the insurgents’ camp, at Kafiya
Forest.
“The battle was very fierce and it lasted
for several hours. The enemy camp was
well fortified with anti-aircraft and anti-
tank weapons mounted on vehicles.
“At the end of the fire-fight, over 150
insurgents were killed and the enemy or
insurgent camps cleared. We lost an
officer and 15 soldiers killed in action,
while nine soldiers are missing.”
In a related development, as part of its
fact-finding tour, the Presidential
Committee on Dialogue and Peaceful
Resolution of Security Challenges in the
North yesterday visited the Abuja office of
THISDAY Newspapers.
The chairman of the committee, Alhaji
Tanimu Turaki, who led other members,
expressed shock at the extent of the
damage wreaked on the bureau, which
was attacked by Boko Haram in April last
year.
Turaki, who said the bomb attack on
THISDAY’s complex was underreported,
added that the federal government was
determined to ensure such incidents do
not recur in any part of the country.
“Everything will be done to see that this
does not happen anywhere in the
country again,” said Turaki who along
with other committee members, was
visibly moved by the extent of the
damage caused by the explosion to lives
and property.
Others who accompanied him were the
former Minister of Foreign Affairs, Prof.
Bolaji Akinyemi; Sheikh Ahmed Lemu;
Senator Abubakar Sodangi; former Vice-
Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri,
Professor Nur Alkali; a former Governor of
Rivers State, Colonel Musa Shehu; and
Director-General of the Nigerian Institute
of Peace and Conflict Resolution, Dr.
Joseph Golwa.
According to Turaki, although President
Goodluck Jonathan had chosen the
option of peace for those Islamic
extremists who were ready to embrace
dialogue, those elements that are not
willing, would be dealt with by the
military.
He said the ongoing dialogue with the
insurgents had reached an advanced
stage.
The committee chairman however
admitted that he did not know that the
damage to THISDAY’s complex was so
colossal and described the destruction
as unwarranted.
He said President Jonathan had directed
the committee to visit all victims of Boko
Haram attacks and advise him on how to
compensate them.
Turaki informed the THISDAY
management that government would
certainly do something to assuage the
pain and suffering inflicted on the
organisation.
He asked the management to, within 48
hours, furnish the committee with an
inventory of the cost of damage and the
amount of money needed to complete the
treatment of those needing surgery and
other medical care.
He also asked for the names of affected
members of staff and the deceased. He
commiserated with the staff and
management and condoled with the
family of the dead.
Executive Director of THISDAY
Newspapers, (Northern Operations), Mr.
Israel Iwegbu, who showed the team
round the bombed structure, stated that
the THISDAY management was relieved
that the government had finally come to
see things for itself.
Iwegbu, who was accompanied by some
other management staff, said apart from
the damage to the building and
equipment, a security guard, Christopher
Sadiq, died in the attack while two others,
Bashiru Shuaibu, who was still bed-
ridden and in need of plastic surgery,
and Nuhudeen Dauda, who also needs
surgery to remove glass shrapnels from
his body.
Meanwhile, three major buildings were
bombed by Boko Haram in Abuja. They
are the UN building, police headquarters
and the THISDAY complex. The UN
building and police headquarters have
since been fixed by the federal
government.
THISDAY could have relied on insurance
to fix its own complex, but insurance
companies walked away because
THISDAY did not have a war-risk
insurance, as it did not consider Nigeria
at the time to be at war.
Source: http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/army-over-150-boko-haram-insurgents-15-soldiers-killed-in-borno/159309/

Okay oo !!

Journalists are not helping matters with this security issue. The question is, are they threatened to report in favour of the terrorists or are they just trying to achieve popularity through it *still thinking*

[size=15pt]This is good news and should be on the front page! it shows that the END is near for terrorists, with TIME, THINGS will change for good in this country! [/size]

I believe the military needs to work more on it's intelligence gathering capacity so as to foil such coordinated attacks

lurvy: [size=15pt]This is good news and should be on the front page! it shows that the END is near for terrorists, with TIME, THINGS will change for good in this country![/size]

busted

This is bad mehn

good news

For the Army to agree that it lost 15 men and 9 are still MIA shows the online report was correct because the. Military will always cut its casualty by 50% in such scenarios to keep morale of other units high

this is a strategy being used by the nigerian army to keep the morale of others high, they will always bring the number down. Since they are able to accept 15, it means the media report yesterday is right.

idupaul: For the Army to agree that it lost 15 men and 9 are still MIA shows the online report was correct because the. Military will always cut its casualty by 50% in such scenarios to keep morale of other units high

this is a strategy being used by the nigerian army to keep the morale of others high, they will always bring the number down. Since they are able to accept 15, it means the media report yesterday is right.

All these nonsence is a plot to backmail ihejirika!!!fools ..u will end up here..after gej igbo man to middle bird

Premium Times and other media organisations should exercise restraints in their reportage of the ongoing war on Boko Haram. There's no point publishing baseless reports from unofficial sources. All the baseless reports in the past has always turned out to false after investigation (eg the Baga massacre). Now I have no doubt that yesterday's report by Premium Times is FALSE. It is part of the antics of the ENEMIES of progress to undermine the military operation against Boko Haram. I believe the Nigeria Army. Death to Boko Haram

@Moderators, front page pls

They no dey finish?

Sincere 9gerian: Premium Times and other media organisations should exercise restraints in their reportage of the ongoing war on Boko Haram. There's no point publishing baseless reports from unofficial sources. All the baseless reports in the past has always turned out to false after investigation (eg the Baga massacre). Now I have no doubt that yesterday's report by Premium Times is FALSE. It is part of the antics of the ENEMIES of progress to undermine the military operation against Boko Haram. I believe the Nigeria Army. Death to Boko Haram

Do you seriously think the "enemies of progress" are responsible for reporting the amount of soldiers that died? How does the amount of soldiers that died benefit anyone?

I wonder how you get any sleep at night if you are that paranoid.

Also, you really need to stop saying that anything negative about Jonathan is "false" and lies peddled by the "enemies of progress". It makes you sound ridiculous.

Unless you plan on telling us that everything Jonathan does is perfect, you need to stop.

@topic - My heart goes out to the families of the dead soldiers, no matter how many they are.

Kairoseki77:

Do you seriously think the "enemies of progress" are responsible for reporting the amount of soldiers that died? How does the amount of soldiers that died benefit anyone?

I wonder how you get any sleep at night if you are that paranoid.

Also, you really need to stop saying that anything negative about Jonathan is "false" and lies peddled by the "enemies of progress". It makes you sound ridiculous.

Unless you plan on telling us that everything Jonathan does is perfect, you need to stop.

@topic - My heart goes out to the families of the dead soldiers, no matter how many they are.

The same Premium Times and their partners in mischief told us more than 60 civillians died in Baga. But after investigations both by the military, NASS, Aljareeza, etc it turned out to be false. Why is Premium Times and SR always in a hurry to churn out unverified casuality figures? Assuming but not conceding that the military deliberately reduces the casuality figures so as not to dampen the morale of solders, why would Premium Times want to undermine that? Does the American media report all they know or see when it comes to national security?

Ride on gallant soldiers, RIP to the fallen heroes.

For the army to admit that 15 soldiers were killed that means the 40 reported may be the correct. I always multiply their official figures by three.

150 Boko Harems. When will these killers finish?

Sincere 9gerian:
The same Premium Times and their partners in mischief told us more than 60 civillians died in Baga. But after investigations both by the military, NASS, Aljareeza, etc it turned out to be false. Why is Premium Times and SR always in a hurry to churn out unverified casuality figures? Assuming but not conceding that the military deliberately reduces the casuality figures so as not to dampen the morale of solders, why would Premium Times want to undermine that? Does the American media report all they know or see when it comes to national security?

It wasnt only Premium Times that reported that news.

Sincere 9gerian:
The same Premium Times and their partners in mischief told us more than 60 civillians died in Baga. But after investigations both by the military, NASS, Aljareeza, etc it turned out to be false. Why is Premium Times and SR always in a hurry to churn out unverified casuality figures? Assuming but not conceding that the military deliberately reduces the casuality figures so as not to dampen the morale of solders, why would Premium Times want to undermine that? Does the American media report all they know or see when it comes to national security?

Everyday you are here rubbishing a newspaper when it publishes something you don't like, and then hailing that same paper when it publishes something that benefits you.

Just the other day you were happily posting an article from Sahara Reporters.

And who told you that the Baga Massacre was a lie, or that Premiuim Times was responsible for it. We were getting condemned by the US, the UK, and others because of satellite photos produced by the Human Rights Watch (which is an international organization).

Everyone from the BBC to CNN covered that story and no one except a few Nigerian newspapers said it was a lie. So I am struggling to understand how you came to the conclusion that Premium Times is responsible, or even how you decided that it was a lie.

Akpa ife: They no dey finish?

I wonder oo

When I read the news about how 40 soldiers died and 69 missing yesterday, I told someone close to me that read the news too that, we gonna be hearing a different figure today. Not surprised at all. Its so unfortunate we lost about 15 of them and 9 still missing even if that's what they want us to believe. RIP Soldiers.