Buratai orders release of 249 Boko Haram Suspects, cleared by Joint Interrogation office.
*As suicide bomber is arrested at Sabon Gari Jidari.
The Nigerian Army said on Monday that a total of 249 suspected Boko Haram terrorists and accomplices, arrested by troops in several mop up operations, have been released on the orders of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai after they were cleared by the Joint Interrogation team in Maiduguri.
The release of the cleared suspects came as troops of 101 Battalion, 7 Division Garrison on foot patrol along with some elements of Civilian JTF, intercepted a suspected male suicide bomber at Sabon Gari Jidari and demobilized the primed IED he was carrying.
A statement from army headquarters gave the breakdown of the cleared and released suspects to include “169 males, 46 women and 34 children. Further breakdown shows that 203 of them were from 18 Local Government Areas of Borno State, while 44 were from other States as follows; Adamawa 2, Jigawa 2, Lagos 1, Oyo 1 and Yobe 38 while 2 of them were from the Republic of Cameroon.
It said “The released persons were handed over to Borno State government through the Commissioner for Local Government by the Acting General Officer Commanding 7 Division, Brigadier General Victor Ezugwu. The two foreigners were however handed over to the Borno State Command of the Nigerian Immigration Service.
In his remarks, the Borno State Commissioner advised the released detainees to remain law abiding and go about their lawful businesses. He also commended the effort of the military in the fight against terrorism and insurgency and respect for human rights as manifested in the painstaking efforts that led to their clearance and subsequent release.
Each of them was given a token of N3, 000 each.
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Meanwhile, the army disclosed that troops of 101 Battalion, 7 Division Garrison on foot patrol along with some elements of Civilian JTF, intercepted a suspected male suicide bomber at Sabon Gari Jidari.
“The suspect who was carrying a primed Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) concealed in a blue stabilizer casing gave his name as Yusuf Tasiu” a statement said.
“He was dispossessed of the explosives while the Nigeria Police Explosive Ordnance Devices expert safely detonated it. The suicide bomber is currently being interrogated.
“In a related development, Vigilante group at Njidari village, South East of Damboa, conducted clearance operations against suspected Boko Haram terrorist’s hideout close to Ngwalimeri village, east of Bale in Borno State.
“The vigilante destroyed the camp and recovered 1 AK-47 rifle with registration number 565203224 with locally fabricated 5 rounds of 7.62mm (Special) ammunitions and a pair of military uniform.
“The leader of the vigilante handed over same to the Headquarters of 25 Task Force Brigade in Damboa.
“In another development, troops of Forward Operation Base, 33 Brigade deployed in Burra, Bauchi State along with some local vigilantes conducted patrol along Unguwar Kanawa-Rugar Abdulsalami-Diwa Village-Dutsen Zaki with the aim of clearing cattle rustlers, armed bandits and kidnappers operating in the general area.
“The troops came in contact with some armed bandits at Jejin Dutsen Zaki (Dutsen Zaki Forest) in which there was exchange of gun fire that led to the death of 2 kidnappers and rescue of 2 kidnap victims.
“The team also recovered 5 AK-47 rifles, 23 rounds of 7.62mm ammunitions and 4 Bajaj brands of motorcycles, as well as food items and clothing.”
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