SHAKAU LIKELY KILLED IN GUN BATTLE WITH NIGERIAN ARMY AS BAZZA, MICHIKA, TOWNS ARE RECAPTURED BY NIGERIAN MILITARY

The military, yesterday, engaged the Boko Haram terrorists in a fierce battle at Vimtim, the home town of the Chief of Defence Staff, Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh, inflicting heavy casualties on the insurgents. At the end of the gun battle, the troops who moved in from the 1 Division Kaduna, 3 Division Jos and TRADOC, Minna killed 40 sect members and also succeeded in reclaiming Michika, Uba and Gulak towns from the terrorists.

Giving details of what transpired, the source said, the terrorists encircled the troops from all angles of Vimtim as the troops concentrated in the city centre and a gun battle ensued. Unknown to them, the newly deployed soldiers arrived and joined the battle, taking on the terrorists from behind leading to killing of over 40 insurgents while others fled.

The military also recovered 17 Hilux vehicles, General Purpose Machine Guns (GPMGs) mounted on their Hilux vehicles, and several Anti-Aircraft guns (AA weapons). Several surface-to-air missiles were destroyed while four were taken away by the troops.

The military source added that the initial retreat by soldiers from Mubi was to enable soldiers re-strategize and attack the insurgents in full force, adding that this was what made civilians panic.
The situation, however, changed dramatically when troops from the other three states arrived and assisted in cutting the insurgents off in the confrontation that ensued.

A senior military source told correspondents that troops today retook Bazza after a fierce battle in which soldiers killed several Boko Haram militants.

According to an undisclosed source, 

 “our soldiers circled Baza and engaged the terrorists in a serious battle. We have now recaptured Bazza after defeating the resistance of Boko Haram militants in the township.”

Thousands of residents of Gulak, Michika and Bazza had fled to neighboring towns and Cameroon as Boko Haram had unleashed mayhem on residents during their short reign over the towns.

Sources disclosed that successful attacks on Boko Haram insurgents was made possible by an advance team of Nigerian Air Force pilots who bombed the insurgents’ command centres in Bazza.

“It was after our Air Force jets bombarded their strongholds mounted on roads that the troops moved in on a clearing mission,” the officer revealed.

The Defence headquarters has also confirmed that three officers and two soldiers were injured in the bloody encounter. In separate tweets posted, yesterday, it said the injured officers and soldiers were currently receiving treatment at a military facility.

The General Officer Commanding the 3rd Armoured Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General J.S  Zaruwa is personally directing the counter-insurgency operation.

Meanwhile, there was a severe setback on the side of the insurgents as over 100 were killed on their escape route from the heavy resistance by the Nigerian military.

The statement, which could not be immediately verified, said Boko Haram militants fired two shells on the town of Fotokol in Cameroun’s northern tip, on the border with Nigeria.

In a suspicious development, the voice of Shakau appears to have died out as he has been conspicuously missing in action. It is likely that the last holder of the title "Abubakar Shakau who was heavily wounded in the battle of Mubi and Michika has possibly died out of injuries. Abu Zannira has claimed to be the spokesman of the sect. In its usual manner, the sect might be finding it difficult to present another look alike of Abubakar Shakau as the face of Boko Haram