Army arrests ex-colonel who led Yobe B’Haram attacks
Director Army Public Relations,
Brigadier-General Ibrahim Attahiru
A
retired lieutenant colonel, who was said to have led the Boko Haram attacks on
Damaturu, Yobe State, on Thursday was arrested by security forces during the
encounter.
The
retired army officer is being detained at a military facility.
It
could not be ascertained as of the time of filing this report if he has been
moved to Abuja for interrogation or not.
The
Director of Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Ibrahim, had put the
casualty figure on the part of the insurgents at 70 in a statement that was
silent on the number of soldiers killed in the attack.
It
was however, learnt that nine soldiers including a lieutenant and four
policemen lost their lives in the attack.
“The
retired lieutenant colonel was properly discharged from the Army and it was a
big surprise when he was arrested and identified by those who knew him as a
former officer,” an Army source said.
It
was further learnt that the attack on security formations in Damaturu was to
avenge the seizure of a truck containing military uniforms and arms by security
forces.
The
truck was seized last week when the driver objected to a search of the vehicle
and he tendered a memo purportedly from the Defence Headquarters directing that
the truck should not be searched.
The
driver and other passengers were detained and the truck was impounded and
parked at the Police Area Command, Guija Road, Damaturu, when the army
camouflage and weapons were found inside it.
SUNDAY
PUNCH further gathered that members of the
sect are holding a medical doctor who was abducted while on duty at the
Sani Abacha Hospital during the Thursday attack.
They
also carted away drugs that were in the pharmacy of the medical facility and
took away two ambulances belonging to the Damaturu General Hospital.
Security
operatives are said to be looking for the doctor who is feared to have been
taken to one of the enclaves of the sect in the North-East.
A
security source said on Saturday that the Boko Haram members might have taken
away the drugs for the purpose of giving medication to injured fighters of the
group while the medical doctor might have been seized for the purpose of
rendering medication to their injured members.
Meanwhile,
the military on Saturday relaxed the 24 hours curfew imposed on Yobe State to
nine hours.
When
our correspondent contacted the Director of Defence Information, Brig. Gen.
Chris Olukolade, he said, “Whatever you call it, we are capable of dealing with
it decisively.
“We
will continue to do the required adjustment both in approach and structure to
respond appropriately and ensure that our duty to defend the country and the
citizenry is discharged effectively.”
