The Nigerian Army on Friday in Abuja decried the rate at which the Boko Haram insurgents have been using fake military camouflage to attack civilians. Maj.-Gen. Mobolaji Koleoso, the Chief of Civil Military Affairs of the Nigerian Army, said this while briefing newsmen on the security situation in the country. He said the Army had observed with dismay the illegal possession and abuse of military camouflage by the Boko Haram insurgents.
“This trend is indeed worrisome, hence the need to enlighten the public to be cautious and report suspicious persons using illegal camouflage, to relevant security agencies. “A recent exchange of gun fire with the insurgents in the North Eastern part of the country which resulted in a large number of causalities on their side showed that the insurgents were dressed in fake military camouflage.
“For the unsuspecting populace, these insurgents would have been misconstrued as soldiers of the Nigerian Army,’’ he added.
Koleoso explained that the army had been erroneously accused of heinous crimes on innocent citizens, “not knowing that the Boko Haram insurgents have been the perpetrators of this dastardly act.’’
On the Daura attack in Katsina State, Koleoso said that the 35 Battalion of the Nigerian Army received a distress call at about 10 p.m. on Thursday, May 17 and troops moved into Daura to take charge of the situation.
He said that in the ensuing firefight, two soldiers were killed and an officer was shot and wounded.
According to Koleoso him, two Boko Haram terrorist were killed, while three escaped with their vehicle but had an accident and died.
“Some quantities of Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) were recovered, while the two Golf cars used by the terrorists, 10 AK47 riffles and a large quantity of ammunition were recovered.’’ Koeloso said that some of the terrorists escaped with gun shots wounds and appealed to the public to report to the nearest security agency any person with bullet wounds.
He warned hospitals and clinics not to treat cases of gunshot wounds without reporting such cases to security agencies. Koleoso also warned that anybody who hides any terrorist would put himself or herself in dangers, “as they will be acting against the public and national interest’’. He gave assurance that the army and other security agencies were determined and committed to defeating terrorists and other criminal elements in the country.
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