Chadian and Nigerien troops are in charge of security and protection of the border town of Damasak in Borno State according to dictates of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) establishing the Multinational Joint Task Force (MJTF) against terrorism in Nigeria’s north east, a military source has disclosed.
Meantime, the Nigerian Defence Headquarters has announced the restraining of two unaccredited Al Jazeera journalists to their hotel rooms after they were found loitering around operational areas of the north east. The journalists were ordered back to their hotel rooms for safety reasons, a military personnel told our correspondent.
The explaining of who is in charge of Damasak came on the heels of speculation in major international media that no fewer than 500 children and women were kidnapped and led away by Boko Haram terrorists while fleeing from Damasak recently liberated by Chadian and Nigerien troops.
The military source wondered how fleeing terrorists who were pounded by Nigerian Air Force aircraft before being overwhelmed by forces from the two MJTF participating troops would pack over 500 individuals along with them in the process.
“Although we are not officially responding to such baseless assertions because it has become normal for some interests to manufacture something so that their media will have something negative to report about Nigeria. It is nevertheless important to let them know that troops from Niger and Chad have been in charge of protecting that town and we wonder how they would have allowed Boko Haram the luxury of such mass kidnapping?
“Meanwhile, two journalists working for Aljazeera Television who were found to have been loitering around restricted areas where military operations are ongoing in the North East have been restrained in Maiduguri.
In a statement published on defenceinfo.mil.ng, the Defence Headquarters stated that “the journalists, Ahmed Idris and Mustafa Andy who were noted to have been moving around various locations including restricted areas in Yobe and Borno State were also operating without any protection, accreditation or due clearance.
They were accordingly monitored by military intelligence operatives until they eventually had to be restrained to their hotel in Maiduguri. This followed the increasing suspicion that their activities were aimed at interfering with the ongoing military operations in the area.
The motive, activities and some material in possession of these individuals are being investigated.
It will be recalled that foreign journalists have earlier been cautioned against unauthorised and unprotected movements around the military operations area. This warning is hereby reiterated until formally reversed or lifted. Appropriate arrangements will however continue to be made to assist duly cleared journalists to cover activities in the mission area within the limits of adequate safety, security and necessary procedures.
According to a trader who spoke with the media, the terrorists took away the girls as they flee. The Lake Chad basin coalition force had recaptured Damasak town from Boko Haram in March. The coalition troops have helped to close down the terrorists as they no longer have a hiding place. In the past, they will commit havoc in Nigeria and take refuge in the neighbouring countries. With the contribution of troops by member countries of the Lake Chad basin and each country pushing the attack from their borders, it has made it difficult for the Islamic murderous sect to freely carry out the slaughter of innocent men, women and children.
Nigerian senator Maina maaji lawan told BBC that the case in Damasak was typical and many hundreds of children are missing. He said, ‘the very young ones they give madrasas and the male ones between 16 and 25, they conscript them and they indoctrinate them as supply channels for their hostile missions.’
