Insurgency: Ndume Confirms Killing Of Scores, Abduction Of Others In Borno

The Senator representing Southern Borno Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Ali Ndume (Borno South), has confirmed the killing of an unspecified number of civilians, soldiers and terrorists when suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists invaded Ngoshe community on Tuesday evening.

He called for a serious military operation in Sambisa Forest and the Mandara Mountains to stem the tide of terrorists wreaking havoc in Southern Borno.

Ndume, who condemned the attack, commiserated with the families of those killed and wished the injured quick recovery.

LEADERSHIP Friday reports that Ngoshe is one of the newly resettled communities around the Mandara Mountains in Gwoza Local Government Area of Southern Borno.

Speaking on Thursday, the senator said details of the unfortunate incident were still sketchy but maintained that many of the fleeing terrorists were neutralised by the air component of the Joint Task Force in the North-East, ‘Operation HADIN KAI’.

He lamented that the Chief Imam of Ngoshe, some elders and soldiers were among those killed during the attack, with over 100 persons still missing, while thousands of civilians, mostly women and children, have been displaced and are currently taking refuge in Pulka community.

Ndume added that the military base in the area was dislodged, with some major equipment destroyed, while residential houses and property worth millions of naira were set ablaze.

Security sources said the insurgents launched the attack shortly after residents broke their Ramadan fast.

According to the source, the insurgents overwhelmed the military formation with superior firepower during the assault.

Senator Ndume recommended that the ongoing Operation DESERT SANITY in Sambisa Forest by troops, which has started yielding positive results, should be continuous rather than intermittent. He also called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to equip security agencies with fighter jets and other advanced technological weapons to end the lingering terrorist onslaught.

He alleged that security agencies lack sufficient Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected (MRAP) vehicles and rely mainly on AK-47 rifles with limited equipment at the frontlines, while terrorists deploy sophisticated Rocket-Propelled Grenades (RPGs), Anti-Aircraft Machine Guns (AAMGs), drones and other technologically advanced weapons to attack targets.