Boko Haram bombers now disguise as mad people, military warns

THE military has alerted Nigerians of a new plan by Boko Haram terrorists to cause havoc by disguising as mad people.

According to a statement by Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar, acting Director of Defence Information, the insurgents usually dress like mad persons in order to gain access to public areas to detonate improvised explosive devices.

Nigerian Tribune reports that “It has come to the notice of the Defence Headquarters that Boko Haram members, in their desperation to cause colossal havoc, have now devised a new method where they dress like mad persons to gain access to public areas to detonate bombs.

“The two male suicide bombers, who dressed like mad women and carried out suicide bomb attack in Gombi, Adamawa State, is instructive in this direction. Five people lost their lives and several others were wounded in the heinous attack by these ungodly people.

“The Defence Headquarters, therefore, urges our fellow good citizens across the country to be wary of mad persons approaching markets, public places or crowded areas so as to nip this ugly trend in the bud,” the statement said.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Airforce (NAF) has sustained aerial bombardment of Sambisda Forest with over 286 operational sorties conducted against terrorist target in the area in the last one month.

The Deputy Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Air Vice Marshal Isiaka Amao, who stated this at a media briefing in Maiduguri, Borno State, said that the air strikes and bombardments were conducted by the air component of the Operation Lafiya Dole in the North-East.

AVM Amao said the ongoing air operations and surveillance within the theater of operation in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states were intensified between December 2015 and January 2016 towards ending the Boko Haram menace.

He said: “In continuation of the counter insurgency, the air component in the last one month conducted 286 operational sorties against terrorists’ targets from 25 December to date in the Sambisa forest, covering an area of 157,000 kilometre, which is equivalent to the total land mass of South Korea, Portugal and Togo, in a total of 536 hours, 21 minutes were flown by various platforms engaged in the operations.

“This translates into 316,637.5 litres of aviation fuel which amounts to N60.3 million, excluding the cost of maintenance and armament expended.”

He further explained that prominent operations among the missions carried out included an air strike on 25 December last year where some terrorists’ leaders and junior commanders, who gathered for a leadership meeting in Sambisa Forest, were attacked by a precision strike which led to the killing of several Boko Haram terrorists.

There was also a significant strike conducted on January 17, 2016 following intelligence report on the location of a High Value Terrorists l(Boko Haram HVT) leader taking refuge at a location South of Arra village in the Sambisa Forest, where air strikes neutralized the target.

He added that some areas of the successful airstrikes conducted to include: Gadzama,  Ngwalimiri, Dure and Dure Takwalla, Ajigin, Bitta, Gulumba Gana, Sigel, Damasak and Kumshe communities now occupied by insurgents.

Other areas that came under strike include; Yajiwa, Asaga, Tumbun Gini and Mada towns, amongst others, as well as medical evacuation missions which were also carried out at Marte Local Government area and Banki town of Borno state on 21 January this year.