Attahiru Describes Insurgents in North East as Highly Mobile, Fluid

The Director of Army Public Relations, Brig.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, says the insurgents terrorising people in the North East are ``highly mobile and fluid’’.

Attahiru, who stated this on Tuesday in Abuja while briefing newsmen on the army’s operations in the area, gave the assurance that efforts aimed at curtailing their activities were yielding result.

``You need to have a better understanding of how insurgents operate, they are not static troops; they (insurgents) are highly mobile, very fluid.

``There is no one solution to insurgency in the world. They (insurgents) are peculiar and we are approaching it based on the peculiar need of the insurgency in the North East.

``The ongoing counter-insurgency efforts of the Nigerian Army to deal with the threats constituted by the violent extremist organisation in the North East have continued to yield positive results,’’ he said.

Attahiru recalled that on Saturday, insurgents, using rocket-propelled grenades and AK 47 rifles fired into Gamboru-Ngala in Maiduguri, and troops deployed in the area promptly engaged them.

He said that the troops killed a number of them in the ensuing battle, and others fled to Fotokol in Cameroon.

The army spokesman also said that on Sunday, the terrorists mounted a road block on the Dikwa-Gamboru-Ngala axis where they waylaid passengers and shot at them.

He said that they killed four civilians and wounded two others, and set two petrol tankers ablaze, adding that troops from the Special Operations Battalion killed five of the insurgents.

Attahiru denied online report that some senior military officers took N320, 000 each from soldiers who were withdrawn from Mali and sent to Borno to tackle terrorism in the area.

The army spokesman described the report as a misrepresentation of facts.

``As at the time of their withdrawal, troops were fully paid all their subsistence allowances, while operational allowances were to be paid to them on their return from the disembarked leave.’’

He, however, disclosed that the UN owed Nigeria N127.2 billion, being the amount accruing to it from her peacekeeping efforts globally.

``You will recalled that early this month (October), the UN admitted to owing Nigeria the sum of N127.2 billion accrued through her peacekeeping efforts to the global organisation,’’ he said.

Attahiru also said that the ongoing recruitment in the army was a normal yearly exercise.

``Recruitment in the army is a normal process. Every year, with or without insurgency, there will be recruitment because you need fresh hands in the service.

``Insurgency has also made it mandatory that we up our game.

``The fact that we have gotten into the UN council might up the demand on Nigeria for troop contribution.

``So, we are preparing for both ways - internal security within Nigeria and peace and security anywhere in the world,’’ he said.