The military has commenced a clampdown on
journalists over report claiming that some parts of the country have been captured
by Boko Haram terrorists.
This is coming as the military appears ready to
reclaim its 2018 World Military Ranking as the 43rd country in the world with
the greatest military firepower with the deployment of thousands of soldiers,
armoured tanks and fighter jets in a renewed bid to recover Baga, Borno State,
and other towns lost to Boko Haram terrorists two weeks ago.
Some soldiers were alleged to have invaded the Maiduguri
office of Daily Trust which broke the story of the fall of Baga and four other
towns in northern Borno State to the terrorist group last week.
According to an eyewitness who spoke anonymously to
the media some armed soldiers on Sunday invaded Daily Trust regional office in
Maiduguri, Borno State, and arrested the regional editor, Uthman Abubakar, and
a reporter, Ibrahim Sawab.
According to him, no reason was offered to those on
duty in the media company for the arrest, but it was believed to be connected
with the lead story of the Daily Trust on military operation in the North-east
region.
A staff of the Daily Trust who spoke anonymously
said the soldiers shut the gate of the Maiduguri regional office, after
arresting the two editorial staff on sight at the time of the raid.
He said they have requested for the third person on
the byline, Hamza Idris, who incidentally is based in Abuja and remains the
political editor of the newspaper.
Telephone calls made to the two arrested
journalists were not going through as their mobile phone lines were switched
off.
However, the military could not be reached for
comments on the incident.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian military appears ready to
reclaim its 2018 World Military Ranking as the 43rd country in the world with
the greatest military firepower with the deployment of thousands of soldiers,
armoured tanks and fighter jets in a renewed bid to recover Baga and other
towns taken over terrorists two weeks ago.
Member countries of the Multi-national Joint Task
Force against terrorism (MNJTF), notably Niger Republic and Chad, would be part
of the operation.
In spite of denials by the military, fleeing
residents confirmed that ISWAP operatives were patrolling the streets and
indeed conducting early morning prayers in mosques in the affected towns.
By the accounts of the residents, the terrorists
are in control of five towns notably Baga (host to the 7 Brigade headquarters
of the Multi-national Joint Task Force); Doron-Baga, Kross Kawwa, Bunduran and
Kekeno.
Defence Spokesman, Brigadier-General John Agim,
said the military was not disposed to disclosing any of its plans to launch a
military offensive.
"If we are planning a military offensive, we
cannot tell you, otherwise we will be disclosing our plans," he said.
Also, the Nigerian Air Force Spokesman, Air
Commodore Ibikunle Daramola, declined to comment on the matter.
However, other NAF sources confirmed that jet fighters
are already on ground, adding: "Our aircraft and pilots are already on
ground in the Northeast. We are poised to go."
THISDAY further gathered that signals had since
been sent to thousands of soldiers drawn from different military divisions
across the country, putting them on alert while hundreds of others were already
deployed and massing around the affected towns.
Also, armoured tanks and other military equipment
were also moved into the "target" towns for the offensive.
Top military sources told THISDAY that the decision
to launch the grand offensive informed several visits and meetings the Defence
Minister, Brigadier-General Mansur Dan Ali (rtd), and the Chief of Defence
Staff, General Gabriel Olonisakin, who were both "specially assigned to
review the preparedness of the military for the offensive."
The duo had several meetings with military chiefs
already stationed in Maiduguri on the orders of President Muhammadu Buhari.
A competent military source also told THISDAY that
member countries of the MNJTF were part of the drive to move against the
terrorists, adding: "Members of the MNJTF will be part of the operation."
Chadian soldiers had some days ago decimated over
200 fighters of Boko Haram operating around the borderline of Nigeria and Niger
Republic.
The Chief of Air Staff said recently at the
International Air Power conference held at the NAF Centre in Abuja, that the
Air Force had agreed with Chadian officials to launch air strikes from Chad’s airfields.
Also speaking at the weekend, the Chief of Army
Staff, Lt. Gen. Yusuf Buratai, charged soldiers to fight to finish even as it
launched a special motorcycle section in Chibok, Borno State.
In line with Buratai's directive to troops of
Operation Lafiya Dole to take the war to their enclaves and flush out the
remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists, the acting General Officer Commanding
(GOC) of 7 Division Nigerian army and Commander Sector 1 Operation Lafiya Dole,
Brigadier General Abdulmalik Bulama Biu, charged troops under his command to
redouble their efforts with renewed vigour, gallantry and doggedness in the
fight against insurgency and terrorism in the region.
The Commander of 28 Task Force Brigade Sector 1 of Operation
Lafiya Dole, Brigadier General Mohammed Usman, also charged troops of 117 Task
Force Battalion to be proactive and committed in the fight against terrorism
while commissioning the battalion Quick Response Group (QRG) Special Motorcycle
Section in Chibok.
Usman stated that the motor bikes would certainly
boost the fighting capacity and morale of the troops in the war against Boko
Harram terrorists within the theatre of operation Lafiya Dole especially around
the Chibok general area.
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