Boko Haram: Troops reclaim Madagali, seven others

The Defence Headquarters yesterday announced the reclamation of Gulak, the headquarters of the Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State, and seven other key towns from Boko Haram by soldiers. Many insurgents were arrested during the battles for the reclamation, while arms and ammunition were recovered. The Director of Defence Information, Maj-Gen. Chris Olukolade, in an update on the ongoing campaign against Boko Haram in the North-East, said the troops “routed terrorists from Bara, the headquarters of the Gulani Local Government Area of Yobe State and Gulag, the headquarters of the Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State in the early hours of yesterday. “The fierce fighting that preceded the clearing of towns and other communities resulted in the killing of many terrorists; the capturing of some of them; and the recovery and destruction of arms, thousands of assorted rounds of ammunition as well as vehicles and other equipment, including anti-aircraft guns, Ggeneral pPurpose machine guns (GPMGs), grenades, multi-barrel bombs, multi-barrel grenade launchers, rifles and mortar guns. “Other locations also cleared in the course of the two-day operation included, Shikah, Fikayel, Tetebah, Buza, Kamla and Bumsa.” A military source said the soldiers’ exploits had provided a ray of hope that the North-East would be safe for the forthcoming general elections. The source said: “Virtually all communities under Boko Haram siege in Adamawa State have been liberated and reclaimed. The troubled Adamawa North Senatorial District has been cleaned up. “Nigerian troops have gained some mileage in the last few weeks. We are hopeful that normalcy will be restored in all the towns and villages in the zone. “Apart from reclaiming these territories, troops have also been mandated to maintain high presence and embark on 24-hour surveillance.”