BOKO HARAM: We Rescued 4, 690 Hostages in 5 months-MNJTF Commander.
The Multi-National Joint Task Force, MNJTF, on Thursday in Abuja after an assessment of its operations in the in last five months, said no fewer than 675 Boko Haram terrorists were killed within the period, while 566 others were arrested.
Force Commander of the MNJTF, Major General Lamidi Adeosun, who spoke in his opening remarks at the ongoing 2nd Regional Security Summit, said “the MNJTF operating together within the sector and across the Boko Haram in a way that they can no longer carry out organized attacks on its troops.”
Adeosun said between January and May this year, 566 Boko Haram terrorists were apprehended while 4, 690 hostages were rescued, stressing that 32 terrorist camps including factories used for making Improvised Explosive Devices IEDs were destroyed.
He noted that apart from being able to restore the confidence of the people, the MNJTF had recorded several other achievements. He listed them as, “the continuous handling of IDPs and refugees by the various sectors and sub-sectors within the MNJTF areas of operation; the liberation of 4,690 hostages from January 2016 to date; neutralization of 675 Boko Haram terrorists and arrest of a total of 566 Boko Haram Terrorists with their logistics…across all the sectors; destruction of 32 terrorists’ camps and Improvised Explosive Device-making factories as well as capturing and destruction of the terrorists’ equipment which include 318 motorcycles, 84 vehicles, 137 assorted weapons, 18 boats and other logistics.”
40, 000 kid’s out-of-school in IDP camps On the humanitarian situation in the MNJTF area of operations, Adeosun said the conditions remained very critical for IDPs and refugees in 14 camps across Nigeria, Cameroun, Chad and Niger.
“The MNJTF secures these camps with armed troops. It also escorts humanitarian workers. Following areas require urgent attention in the camps; provision of water and food in all the camps; deployment of medical personnel and materials; need to provide education for over 40, 000 out-of-school children and reconstruction of destroyed infrastructures to enable the return of the displaced and refugees”, he stated.
Adeosun however lamented that several challenges had continued to hamper the operations of the MNJTF. These he said included inadequate lift capability, limitation on Improvised Explosive and Mine Detection Capability as well as difficulty in sustaining troops.
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