Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have thwarted a move by terrorists to plant bombs along road Maiduguri-Konduga-Bama Main Supply Route (MSR) in Borno State. Colonel Ado Isa, Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, 7 Division, said on Wednesday that the evil plot was aborted when alert troops spotted a big hole crated by terrorists “in the middle of the road with the intention to plant an Improvised Explosive Device (IED)”.

Col. Ado Isa disclosed in a statement that the General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division Nigerian Army, Major General Abdulmalik Bulama Biu, and with the Commander 21 Special Armoured Brigade were at the scene for on-the-spot assessment of the road. “The affected area of the road was scanned and cleared by the team of Engineers Ordinance Detachment to allow for safe movement of troops and other road users accordingly,” he said.

He quoted General Bulama as stating that “the conduct of intensive mobile patrols, ambushes and piqueting in the general area has rendered the terrorists incapable of operating freely and has to resort to other means including burying of IED.”

“He therefore charged the troops to remain more determined and committed in the operation in order to deny them freedom of action,” the statement said, adding: “Similarly, Super Camp Konduga mobilised its engineers and locals within the area to help to mend the affected parts of the road in order to ease free and safe movement of troops, logistics and other commuters.”

The statement appealed to members of the “to cooperate with the Nigerian Army and other security agencies in observing and reporting suspicious activities within their respective areas and provide credible information to aid its operation in order to combat the menace of terrorism and other insecurities.”

•Photo shows GOC 7 Division Nigerian Army, Maj.-Gen. Abdulmalik Bulama Biu and other officers during an on-the-spot assessment of the portion of Maiduguri-Konduga-Bama dug up by terrorists