Boko Haram insurgents recapture border town of Marte from Nigerian security forces

BOKO Haram terrorists have recaptured the border town of Marte from Nigerian security forces after regrouping following recent defeats and mounting a concerted counter-attack over the last few days.

 

Over recent weeks, the Nigerian Army has enjoyed immense success against Bioko Haram following a ground assault on their stronghold in Sambisa Forest in Borno State. This led to the terrorists scattering in different direction but in a last stance, it appears they have regrouped and decided to make Marte their new capital.

 

Borno State deputy governor, Alhaji Zannah Mustapha, confirmed the recapture of the town by Boko Haram terrorists yesterday. He also added that 600 women and girls had been dispatched by the terrorists as suicide bombers with the aim of causing multiple explosions in Maiduguri.

 

Alhaji Mustapha said: “It is sad as we have been made to understand that Marte has today completely fallen under the control of the insurgents, which to us is a very huge setback. It is also unfortunate that we are experiencing yet another attack in Maiduguri at this time that we are thinking that the insurgency should have subsided following the taking over of Sambisa forest by the military."

 

Earlier in the week, Boko Haram sent suicide bombers into Maiduguri but their attack was ultimately foiled by the security forces. Alhaji Mustapha urged residents to be patient with the security agencies in spite of the attendant hardships caused by the dusk to dawn curfew imposed on Maiduguri.

 

He added: Our thinking was that every other place should have been blocked so that the insurgency would be curtailed to a restricted area but that has not been the case because the insurgents have been fleeing to other communities. Initially, we were opposed to the suggestion of a curfew by the military but when we received a security report that about 600 women have been kitted as suicide bombers and are to be sneaked into Maiduguri during the attack, couple with the gory pictures of some of the women who detonated themselves during the attacks, we had no option than to okay the curfew."

 

Alhaji Mustapha added that the government is going to do everything possible by supporting the military to ensure that Maiduguri and other parts of Borno State are not attacked or taken over by the insurgents. On Wednesday, Boko Haram had tried to attack Giwa Barracks, the military garrison in the city.