Troops of 3 Battalion, 22 Brigade of the Nigerian Army on
Friday rescued 998 people from Boko Haram captivity, during a fighting patrol
in some villages in Borno.
According to a statement by the army, the “patrol team had a
fierce encounter with the terrorists at Ndufu which they decisively dealt with
before proceeding to clear Muktu and Muzuri, as well as nearby communities
within the area.”
The statement added that about nine terrorists were killed
and an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) making factory was destroyed.
“Following confirmed information about the presence of
remnants of Boko Haram terrorists in some villages around Ngala, troops of 3
Battalion, 22 Brigade Nigerian Army, today, Friday 19th May 2017, along with
some Civilian JTF embarked on Fighting Patrol to the area.
“The patrol team had a fierce encounter with the terrorists
at Ndufu which they decisively dealt with before proceeding to clear Muktu and
Muzuri, as well as nearby communities within the area.
“Although some of the terrorists fled to various direction
on sighting the troops, the patrol team was able to neutralize 9 terrorists,
destroyed their Improvised Explosive Device (IED) making factory and rescued
998 persons. Those rescued were 125 at Ndufu, 802 at Muktu and 71 persons at
Muzuri. Interestingly, despite the heat of the battle, the troops also
vaccinated all children under the age of 5 with Polio vaccinations.
“In addition, the troops recovered 1 AK-47 Rifle with
registration number 565231515, an AK-47 Rifle Magazine, 2 Boko Haram terrorist
flags, 4 Motorcycles, 2 Solar Panels, 2 already prepared IEDs, Detonating cords
and other explosive making components.
“It is gratifying to note that 3 Battalion has maintained
its status as one of the best fighting unit in the theatre as they did not
sustain any casualty or injury during the operation,” the statement reads.
By Ifreke Inyang
