Boko Haram: We did not declare ceasefire – Shekau

BARELY 24 hours after the Boko Haram sect denied a ceasefire and dialogue with the Federal Government, gunmen suspected to be members of the sect attacked the Monguno Military Barracks in Borno State. They were repelled by men of the Forward Operation Base, FOB, and Joint Task Force, JTF, who killed about 20 of the sect members in the early hours of Sunday.
A statement issued by JTF spokesman, Lt. Col Sagir Musa, said gunmen came in four SUV vehicles and eight motorcycles to attack the military barracks at Monguno, a border town with Chad Republic.
The town is 175 kilometres north of Maiduguri, the epicentre of activities of the Islamist sect. The clash lasted over an hour. He said apart from killing some of the suspects, it recovered arms and ammunition, including 10 units of Rocket Propelled Grenades, RPG, and two RPG tubes.
JTF’s statement
The statement said: “Information available to the Joint Task Force operation indicated that some Boko Haram Terrorists attempted to attack a military barracks at Monguno, Monguno Local Government Area, Borno State at 5am today (yesterday).
“The attack was repelled by the FOB and JTF troops at the outskirt of the barracks. The encounter led to the death of 20 Boko Haram Terrorists.
“Three four-wheel vehicles and eight motor cycles used by the terrorists were destroyed. Arms and ammunition recovered in the clash include seven Kalashnikov rifles, 10 rocked propelled grendes, two RPG tubes, large quantities of assorted ammunition and eight assorted magazines.”
In a related development yesterday, JTF also arrested two top Boko Haram commanders that were allegedly responsible for the Maiduguri multiple bomb blasts of last Thursday, while 11 governors were holding their meeting on the new All Progressive Congress, APC, party at Government House.
The arrested suspects, according to the statement, are in JTF custody undergoing interrogations.