The Defence headquarters declared We are in full control of Mubi

By Kingsley Omonobi, Umar Yusuf & Ndahi Marama

The Defence headquarters declared yesterday that the troops were in full control of Mubi, the second largest city in Adamawa State, even as no fewer than 70 insurgents were said to have been killed by local hunters and vigilante groups.

A Defence Headquarters, DHQ tweet yesterday read, “Mubi has not been attacked. Troops are still in patrol. Deployment positions in and around the town keeping watch. Situation is calm.”

According to DHQ, Nigerian soldiers were in full control of Mubi and any attempt by the terrorists to attack the town would be met with very disastrous consequences on the part of the terror group.

This disclosure came even as a senior officer told Vanguard that the troops were able to reclaim many towns from the terrorists due mainly to the offensive capabil

ities of the Nigerian Air Force.

Explaining why Mubi was a no-go area for the insurgents, the source said the town has become the centre of troops and equipment mobilisation for a new assault on the remnants of the terrorists, who moved into Adamawa from Gwoza through Madagali.

The source noted that there had been reinforcements of troops from the headquarters of the 3 armoured division, Jos and the 1 Infantry division, Kaduna while Commanders were putting finishing touches to strategies that would enable them wipe out the terrorists from the remaining parts of Adamawa State.

Meanwhile, respite is gradually returning to the northern parts of the state, which had been under terrorists’ siege for one week.

According to reports from Madagali, Michika, Bazza, Mubi and other adjoining towns and villages normalcy has now returned to the areas as the Nigerian Soldiers have taken over the local government from the insurgents. This is just as no fewer than 70 of the insurgents were feared killed by local hunters and vigilante groups.

The terrorists were said to have run short of ammunitions, which the local hunters were said to have capitalised upon to gain an upper hand.

Vandi Joseph, a resident of Michika, who spoke to reporters in Yola said the bandits have run short of ammunitions as they were running out of the city into the bush. “As I am speaking to you our youths and vigilante ambushed and killed over 70 insurgents,” he said.

Also, Military authorities are said to be investigating the source of fuel supplies to the insurgents. The military was said to be wondering how the terrorists could drive long distances with mounted weaponry like Anti-Aircraft weapons and also refuel easily, which enables them to move from one city to another.

A source disclosed that the troops discovered large fuel dumps when they launched an attack on the terrorists’ camps which were destroyed.

Meanwhile, no fewer than three innocent civilians were killed yesterday leaving several others injured as suspected members of Boko Haram sect attacked Shaffa District, Hawul Local Government area of Borno state.

This is coming barely 24 hours after another set of terrorists attacked Debiro communities in the same council, setting ablaze churches and houses belonging to Christians.

Hawul is south and predominantly Christian community and about 210 kilometres drive from Maiduguri which had witnessed series of attacks, killings and bombings of churches by insurgents.

A resident of Shaffa, Mwajim Hassan Balami who escaped the attack on Wednesday morning told our Correspondent that the rate at which insurgents were having a field day attacking residents of Tashan Alade, Kwajaffa, Pelachiroma, Jubwuwhui, Dalwa among other communities in the council was worrisome.

‘It is very unfortunate that our people, churches and residents have been killed and destroyed since the beginning of this year, but no action was taken by the government of the day.

It was gathered that the town of Shaffa and other communities of Hawul have been under deadly attacks, particularly with the slaughtering of some internally displaced persons who fled from Damboa attack in the last two months when insurgents overran Damboa