via National Mirror:
Suspected
Boko Haram insurgents have given a notice of attack to the 233
Battalion of the Nigerian Army based at Kukareta Barracks in Damaturu,
Yobe State, National Mirror
reports.
The sect was said to have
expressed its resolve to attack Damaturu on August 9. Also known as the
Special Operations Battalion of the 3 Division, Nigerian Army, the
formation is headed by a commanding officer who was said to have
received a letter by Boko Haram stating its intentions. National Mirror
gathered that the letter was received between Tuesday and Friday last
week.
In June, soldiers of the battalion were said to have
uncovered a terrorist cell within the state capital, Damaturu. The cell
was yet to be raided for certain reasons. One, the commanders were
careful of picking a date for the raid for fears that a “mole” within
the Army could leak the information to insurgents. Secondly, the
infantry soldiers were said to have advised that men of the Air Force be
sent to “shell” the cell before ground troops would be sent in.
Already,
security operatives are said to be on the high-alert while as at
weekend, the General Officer Commanding GOC of the 3 Division, Maj.-Gen.
J.S. Zaruwa, was said to be in Yobe. The battalion is still under the 3
Division in Jos despite the creation last year of the 7 Division in
Maiduguri, which is closer to Damaturu.
“We just received a
letter from BH that they are coming for a visit at Damaturu on the 9th
of this month”, said a soldier who did not want his name mentioned. The
soldier, who was livid with rage, said 25 of his colleagues were killed
in Buni Yadi area of the state last week. He also lamented that some of
his mates were currently deserting the Army since it became obvious that
the Federal Government and the military high command had not
demonstrated enough resolve to tackle the menace.
He said since
the beginning of this year, “those idiots (terrorists) have attacked our
camp more than six times in both Goniri and Buni Yadi and they always
kill soldiers and policemen, yet the government and Army see no reason
to solve the problem”. He said except for the Army’s respect for the
rules of engagement,his colleagues would have since wiped off both
villages.
“The worst of it is that those guys went and bombed the
big bridge that leads to the village, Buni Yadi, so that we in the town
will not be able to go in, while our soldiers there will not be able to
come to the town except they pass through Adamawa State, which is a
long distance”. The source, however, said the Army was ready to stave
off any attack.
Since 2012, terrorists have launched brazen
attacks on Yobe State. While some of the attacks targeted security
formations, others targeted unarmed civilians, including teenage
secondary school students. Buni Yadi, Goniri, Potiskum have witnessed
increased terror attacks.