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The Chief of Defence Staff, CDS, General Gabriel Olonisakin, yesterday in Lagos, raised the hope of Nigerians, particularly parents of the female students that were abducted from the Government Secondary School, in Chibok, Borno State, by terrorists two years ago, of their possible rescue, saying the troops were combing the Sambisa forest where most of the girls were suspected to be.

This came as the Nigerian Army said its troops recorded a breakthrough when 77 members of the Boko Haram sect surrendered to soldiers of the 122 Task Force Battalion, even as 245 civilian hostages particularly women and children abducted by the terrorists were rescued while scores of the terrorists were killed. 

Speaking with journalists while commissioning some projects put in place by the Chief of Naval Staff, Vice Admiral Ibok Ette Ibas, as part of activities marking the 60th anniversary of the Navy, the CDS revealed that the Military recently launched a special operation code-named ‘Operation Crack Down’ to accomplish this aim. 

He said the operation was a mop-up operation and a final onslaught against the Boko Haram insurgents, informing that the Military had deployed both ground and aerial operations, deep inside the Sambisa Forest, with the aim of completely routing all enclaves of Boko Haram and to rescue the abducted Chibok girls and other victims as well. 

According to him: “The operation is progressing. Part of its benefit was the recent rescue of one of the Chibok girls and another one as it were, earlier. The operation is ongoing and we will continue to move into Sambisa until we rid that place of all terrorists. As long as that is on, we will continue until we clear the whole area. We will continue to ensure we step up our game.” 

Giving details of the operations, Acting Director of Army Public relations, Col. Sani Usman said, “Nigerian troops deployed in Operation Lafiya Dole and their neighbouring counterparts under the Multinational Joint Task Force have been very busy clearing the remnants of Boko Haram terrorists in their respective areas of responsibilities. In the process, they were able to rescue quite a number of abducted persons, arrested suspected Boko Haram terrorists, recovered weapons and equipment." 

The troops of 81 Battalion and 251 Task Force Battalion, 25 Task Force Brigade on 30th May 2016, received 79 persons who claimed to have been kept captives by Boko Haram terrorists at Ngwalimiri village but escaped at their location.

Credit: Vanguard Nigeria