Residents of the Baga community have raised alarms over the threat of Boko Haram commanders, Abu Fatima and Abu Sa’ad, along with their foot-soldiers, currently regrouping for a possible attack on important public assets in the Kukawa local government area of Borno state.

Business Day gathered that residents on Sunday sighted large numbers of terrorists gathered with weapons of mass destruction in the general areas.

They raised concerns that the terrorists could be planning to destroy swamp buggies and other equipment recently purchased by the state government for a waterway clearance operation in the area.

“We have seen Abu Fatima and his lieutenant Sa’ad, and several other terrorists have gathered with their boats and sophisticated weapons, including AA and rocket launchers, this evening,” the source said.

According to the resident, he said the project is expected to revive trading routes to the Republic of Chad and Libya, after being affected by the Boko Haram insurgency.

Adding that the insurgents do not want the routes to be reopened, as it would expose their hideouts and affect their business interests in the areas.

“They were asking for directions to where the equipment was stored. There is a need to alert the security agencies in the area to prepare for any eventuality.” Another source added.

Police recover an unexploded bomb in Borno

Similarly, the Borno State Police Command has recovered an unexploded ordnance (UXO) from a farmland in Dikwa Local Government Area. The operation began after farmer Babagana Kachalla reported a suspicious object on his land.

Police Commissioner Naziru Abdulmajid deployed the Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) team from Maiduguri to the site. Officers cordoned off the area and identified the device as a 2.2-meter-long Cluster Bomb Unit (CBU).

The EOD team carried out a controlled demolition before removing the munitions. No casualties were reported.

Police spokesperson ASP Nahum Kenneth Daso said residents received safety training on handling explosive hazards. The command urged the public to report suspicious objects immediately. (BusinessDay)