An attack by suspected Boko Haram terrorists on Monday at Ajiri, in Mafa local government, was aided with the support of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in the community, PRNigeria reports.
The insurgents, it was learnt, carted away five vehicles and killed 15 Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) members, 10 civilians and 5 soldiers.
Ajiri community is 20km away from Dikwa town in Borno State. The terrorists, according to a military source, invaded Ajiri, attacked some civilians and CJTF members. They then, attempted to dislodge a military formation in the area.
“But they were seriously engaged by troops, in a gun battle that lasted for hours, almost thwarting their sinister plan to overrun our formation and also ‘finish’ our Special Forces troops,” he said.
PRNigeria gathered that Ajiri had never witnessed any attack by insurgents, until the displaced families were safely relocated by the government and resettled ‘comfortably’ in their hitherto deserted community.
Checks revealed that some of the newly-resettled people are families of senior Boko Haram Commanders and active fighters of the extremist sect. They regularly communicate with their children, who are now terrorists operating from the Tumbus in Lake Chad axis, to plot attacks on military troops.
An Army Commander, recently killed by Boko Haram terrorists, had once gathered residents of the community and warned them that the military would not accept any form of sabotage, by them.
This was after credible intelligence revealed that the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters usually visit the village at night