No cause for alarm over insurgents’ presence in Marte – DHQ

Abuja – The Defence Headquarters said that there was no cause for alarm over the reported retaken of Marte town in Borno by insurgents as steps were being taken to address the untoward development.

The DHQ said in a statement posted on its website on Saturday that “there has not been any static deployment of troops in Marte for quite sometimes.’’

The statement said that was in line with the need to emphasise more aggressive patrol of many threatened isolated communities while assault on forests and mountain hideouts of terrorists was ongoing.

“Only occasional patrols and surveillance have been undertaken towards the area as the bulk of troops are engaged in the operation to clear the terrorists from all identified enclaves in the forest

“Besides, Marte had been deserted by citizens most of whom had fled to other towns while others are in IDP camps located in Maiduguri and other places.

“It is understandable that terrorists escaping from the offensive operations in Sambisa and other enclaves are looking for place of respite,’’ it said.

According to the statement, they (terrorists) must have found Marte deserted and decided to harbour there.

“Now that their presence is reported, the issue will definitely be addressed in a very short while.

“There is really no cause for alarm in the way some reports are presenting this situation as if it is a meaningful resurgence of terrorists.

“This will only fool the terrorists and their sympathisers into false celebration. There will certainly be no respite for terrorists anywhere in Nigeria,’’ it said. (NAN)

 

No cause for alarm over insurgents’ presence in Marte – DHQ

Boko Haram recaptures Marte in Borno

The Boko Haram terrorist group on Friday recaptured Marte, a border town in the northern part of Borno State.

Security sources said members of the terrorist group, who fled Sambisa forest, had now regrouped in Marte.

Borno State Deputy Governor, Alhaji Zannah Mustapha, also confirmed the recapture of the town by Boko Haram terrorists during a press conference in Maiduguri.

“It is sad as we have been made to understand that Marte is today (Friday) completely fallen under the control of the insurgents, which to us is a very huge setback,” he said.

Mustapha raised the alarm that 600 women and girls had been dispatched by the terrorists as suicide bombers with the aim of causing multiple explosions in Maiduguri.

The deputy governor urged residents to be patient with the security agencies in spite of the attendant hardships caused by the dusk to dawn curfew imposed on Maiduguri.

He said, “It is unfortunate that we are experiencing yet another attack in Maiduguri at this time that we are thinking that the insurgency should have subsided following the taking over of Sambisa forest by the military.

“Our thinking was that every other place should have been blocked so that the insurgency would be curtailed to a restricted area, but that has not been the case because the insurgents have been fleeing to other communities.

“Initially, we were opposed to the suggestion by the military, but when we received a security report that about 600 women have been kitted as suicide bombers and are to be sneaked into Maiduguri during the attack, couple with the gory pictures of some of the women who detonated themselves during the attacks, we had no option than to okay the curfew.

“But the curfew has been relaxed from noon to about 5pm to ease the hardship and afterwards it may be reviewed. Our government is going to do everything possible by supporting the military to ensure that Maiduguri and other parts of Borno State are not attacked or taken over by the insurgents.”

The capture of Marte happened as soldiers sustained the 24-hour curfew imposed on Maiduguri, the Borno state capital on Thursday after Boko Haram terrorists attempted an invasion of the city on Wednesday night.

Boko Haram recaptures Marte in Borno