Angry Soldiers Shoot @ GOC in Maiduguri

Ahmadu Mohammed, major general who is the general officer commanding (GOC) 7 Division, Nigerian Army, narrowly escaped death on Wednesday when aggrieved soldiers opened fire on his official vehicle, as he arrived to address them at the Maimalari Military Barracks in Maiduguri, Borno State capital.

Sources close to the military barracks disclosed that some troops who went to Chibok Local Government area for an operation where over 234 schoolgirls were recently abducted by suspected Boko Haram terrorists carried out the mutiny against their boss after returning to Maiduguri.

One of the sources spoke of how they were on their way back to Maiduguri when they realised that the Maiduguri-Damboa road was not safe, as darkness had set in, and then requested the GOC to allow them spend the night in one of the villages considered to be safe for them.

The GOC was said to have insisted that the soldiers must come back to Maiduguri the same night.

However, on their way back to Maiduguri, according to investigation, the soldiers were ambushed by suspected terrorists, and many of them (soldiers) were killed.

Military sources further said when the GOC tried to address troops on the ongoing operation against the insurgents, the soldiers on sighting the arrival of corpses of their deceased colleagues got angry and started shooting sporadically.

Some of them were said to have indeed intentionally opened fire on the GOC’s vehicle but that he narrowly escaped.

“What angered the soldiers most is the unnecessary deduction of their allowances and subjecting them to harsh working conditions without proper equipment to carry out their rules of engagement.

“As a result of this, many of them were being killed like rats by the insurgents,” a source noted.

A statement later last night from the Defence Headquarters said the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army is to institute a military board of inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the conduct of the soldiers who fired some shots while the GOC was addressing the troops.

The statement issued by a Major General Chris Olukolade, director, Defence Information/Coordinator, said the incident occurred when the corpses of  four soldiers who died in an ambush while returning from patrol duties in Chibok was being conveyed to the morgue.

He said there is now calm in the cantonment and that all normal operations  activities are ongoing .

Another report said residents of Kalabalge village also in Borno State took their destiny in their hands on Tuesday when they fought off gun-wielding Boko Haram insurgents who invaded the village in an early morning attack.

The villagers succeeded in killing several of the invaders and arrested about 10 of them alive.

The insurgents had repeatedly attempted to attack Kalabalge, an agro-nomad community near the Cameroon borders, but failed to gain entry into the village on each attempt.

Eyewitnesses said the villagers had made security preparations around the village and this has made it impossible for the Boko Haram terrorist to launch successful attacks.

The village is the headquarters of Kalabalge Local Government area of Borno State.

“We have told them (Boko Haram) that they cannot take their attacks to our village because, we have taken measures both security wise and spiritually to prevent them,” said a vigilance member in the community who did not give his name when he spoke to a news agency on phone.

“They wanted to attack us just the way they did in Bama, Konduga and Damboa, but we got the wind of it and all of us laid ambush for them; when they neared the village, we opened fire using our dane guns, double barrel rifles and bows and arrows.

“Most of them who were shocked took to their heels, but many of them died, some that were injured have been caught alive and are with the security people as I am talking to you”, said the vigilance member.

An official of the State Security Service (SSS) who pleads anonymity confirmed the incident to reporters on phone.

“The insurgents tried to attack the village as at 5.00 a.m. (on Tuesday) but the vigilante and some members of the village who got the hint of the attack laid ambush and were able to kill as many of them as possible, while about ten of them were caught alive; they also recovered two trucks from the insurgents,” the security source said.

The Boko Haram has raided several villages in Borno State, killing thousands of people and destroying countless property.

Meanwhile, security has been beefed up along some strategic roads and institutions in Akwa Ibom State following widespread suspicion that Boko Haram may launch attack.

In the last few weeks, there has been unusual heavy military presence within the University of Uyo (UNIUYO), some major roads, especially the IBB Way and some Hausa-Fulani locations, including Eka Street, Iba Oku village where the Nasarawa Livestock Market is located and other settlements.

The unusual military surveillance on Uyo was said to be informed by alleged seizure recently of large consignment of arms brought into the state in a truck loaded with cows and suspected to the sponsored by Boko Haram.

State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Etim Dickson, in a telephone interview said it was the practice for Northerners doing business in the state to be escorted by securities agents.

“Intelligence reports received at this Department indicate that the University has been earmarked as one of the major targets in the event of an attack in Akwa Ibom State.

“Consequently, every member of the University community is urged to please be security conscious, observant and report any suspicious movement or thing to the security officer nearest to him or her.

“As a pre-emptive measure to safeguard the University from attack, all small gates leading into both Annex and Town campuses would be closed to all between 12 noon and 3.00 p.m. every Friday.

“Members of the University community are pleased advised to use the main gates during the period as other measures deemed necessary for the safety of the community will be communicated to you from time to time.”




 
 

 





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