No Terrorist Attack On Maiduguri – DHQ,…. 8 Arrested over Nyanya Blasts
Adetokunbo Fakeye
Nigeria Defence Headquarters has denied widely reported terrorists attack in Maiduguri.
Director of Defence Information, Major-General Chris Olukolade said in a statement on Saturday.
“On receiving distress call, troops at about 2am this morning launched a counter attack using mainly mortar shells on a group of terrorists who had attacked and killed four persons in Margimari village and other settlements in the outskirts of Maiduguri.
“There was no fighting or attack around the University or any barrack in Maiduguri either, as reported”, Olukolade said.
The Defence spokesman announced “In Abuja, eight persons are currently being interrogated after raid operations by troops of security agencies on joint surveillance and patrols mission in the Federal Capital today.
“The arrested persons are helping ongoing investigation with useful information after the operation which is sequel to intelligence reports.
“Most of those arrested are foreigners who were picked up around Kugbo and areas adjoining the Nyanya site of the recent bombings in the Federal Capital.
“Those confirmed to constitute threat to security will be handed over to appropriate prosecutorial agency on conclusion of the preliminary investigations.
“A Chadian, Usman Mecheka operating with the terrorists group around Lake Chad has been taken into custody by the Multi National Joint Task Force.
“He was apprehended by the Task Force while trying to extract a ransom from herdsmen and farmers in the area, after an earlier attack on the community”. The statement read.
General Olukolade also announced that troops of the Special Task Force in the Plateau have also raided a camp maintained by an armed gang operating in a settlement in Shendam Local Government Area of Plateau State.
A gun fabricating machine as well as some arms and ammunition from the hideout were recovered during the raid.
Also recovered during the raid according him, were local single barrel guns, pistols, an automatic rifle, bullet pellets and a large quantity of materials for producing gun powder.
The raid he added, has equally yielded vital details to track down the operators of the gun fabricating hideout who are now on the run. The area is also being combed in the search for similar criminal outfits.