The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Tukur Buratai almost ran into a Boko Haram ambush on Saturday on the Maiduguri-Dikwa road, Borno State, but his advance team did and lost one soldier.
Five of the terrorists were killed by the advance team in the gun fire exchange, while four others surrendered.
The soldiers were on their way to Dikwa ahead of Gen. Buratai who is currently visiting troops in towns and villages recently liberated from terrorists in the state.
Also during the trip,the Chief of Army arrested four other suspected Boko Haram members after picking them from the midst of herdsmen.
As Buratai’s convoy made its way to Dikwa, eagle eyed soldiers grew suspicious of some men among the herdsmen and their cattle.
The COAS ordered the convoy to stop and got four men and arrest an elderly Fulani man arrested, who confessed during interrogation that he met the suspects just before their arrest and had actually forced themselves on his party.
The four confessed that they were indeed members of the terror sect. They were there and then whisked off to Maiduguri.
At Mafa, General Buratai commended soldiers of the 7 Division of the army for a job well done, he assured them of improved welfare and allowances.
He however told the soldiers that “there is still more job to be done and we have to do this once and for all so that all of us can go back to our respective barracks and continue with our normal jobs as soldiers”.
In Dikwa the COAS was welcome with cheers by over 4000 internally displaced persons from Gamboru and neighbouring towns, who were full of praises and prayers for him and his soldiers.
Buratai who addressed them in Kanuri pledged that that they would soon be resettled as his troops are working round the clock to rid the area of terrorists.
In Ngala town, the Army chief met jubilant troops celebrating the liberation of the area.
He was accompanied by the Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Baba Abubakar who made the trip by air.
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