After a fierce battle, the nation’s military has reclaimed Bama town, Borno State, from the terror group Boko Haram.

Boko Haram captured the area last Monday. But after aerial bombardments by the Nigerian Air Force (NAF)’s fighter jets, the military has reclaimed Bama. Sources confirmed this yesterday in Maiduguri, the state capital.

A military source said that the aerial bombardments were meant to destroy Boko Haram’s weapons and installations in the border town.

He said: “Our tactical aerial attacks to reclaim this town have been effective and yielding the desired results. This will enable the fleeing residents and villagers to return within the shortest period of time.”

However, like a fatally wounded snake, the sect last night launched a counter-offensive on Mubi and Michika, two important towns in neighbouring Adamawa State with large Christian populations.

It was learnt from security sources that Michika had come under severe attack, forcing several of its residents to flee the town to neighbouring towns and villages.

However, the insurgents found it more difficult to make inroads into Mubi as they were repelled by the superior firepower of the Nigerian military.

Earlier yesterday, students of Adamawa State University, Mubi, on getting wind that the insurgents were advancing to the town and Michika, fled their campus.

The authorities of the university also announced its closure to forestall the destruction of lives and property in the school.

They were seen at bus stations in the town trying to depart Mubi.

The insurgents had on Friday launched an attack on Gulak, headquarters of Madagali Local Government Area in Adamawa State.

The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Liman Tukur, who confirmed the attack in a statement Saturday, said the insurgents had taken over Gulak.

Boko Haram has been laying siege to several major towns and villages in Borno and Adamawa States in recent weeks in its bid to carve out an Islamic enclave.

Though it still has Gwoza and Gamboru Ngala, both in Borno State, as well as Banki in Adamawa State, under its control, the Nigerian military has sworn to leave no stone unturned until it recaptures every territory from the sect.

Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno in his statewide broadcast on Saturday said that in the history of the state since the 19th century, the latest insurgency was “not the first threat to our existence as a people. We had faced and survived threats in years past and we shall survive this, God willing.

“We are confident of victory through a reinforcement of our armed forces and the collective will of all of us, citizens, who are committed to defeating the Boko Haram scourge.”

In continuation of the government’s efforts to forge a stronger alliance against terrorism with Nigeria’s neighbours, President Goodluck Jonathan leaves Abuja today for Njamena, the Chadian capital.

While in Chad, Jonathan is expected to hold talks with his host President Idriss Deby to discuss how to further actualise parts of the agreements for greater cooperation against insurgents and terrorists reached by Nigeria, Chad, Niger and Cameroun at a meeting in Paris earlier this year.

A statement by the Special Adviser, Media and Publicity to the President, Reuben Abati, in Abuja yesterday said the talks in Ndjamena with Deby, who is also the current Chairman of the African Union’s Peace and Security Council followed their discussions in Nairobi last week on the sidelines of the council’s summit.

“Their talks are expected to lead to the strengthening of the Paris Accord on joint border patrols, intelligence sharing and the prevention of the illicit movement of terrorists, criminals, arms and ammunition across shared borders,” Abati said.

•Text extracted from reports in The Guardian and THISDAY. Photo shows Nigerian troops in action in the troubled Borno State.

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