Increased Boko Haram attacks, sign of extinction – Commander

Major General Lucky Irabor, the Theater Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, said on Wednesday that the increased wave of attacks by the Boko Haram terrorists in the North East was a sign that the military was winning the war against terror.
Irabor disclosed this while speaking with newsmen in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
He said that the attacks were frustrated attempts by the insurgents to show that they still had some powers.
Irabor said: “What is happening is that the terrorists are trying to make noise so that people will believe that they still have some powers.
“They are just trying to create some impression that they are still in control.”
He said that the new wave of attacks did not come as a surprise to the military.
He said: “We had anticipated that the terrorists will resort to these kinds of attacks after what we did to them in Sambisa.
“It is customary all over the world that terrorists scale up attacks towards the end of their activities.”
Irabor said that the military was marshaling the final plans to uproot the terrorists through coordinated approach with Nigerian neighbours.
Irabor said that the military had recorded remarkable successes in the anti-terrorism war in the last few weeks.
He said: “In spite of the regrettable occurrence of January 17 at Rann, our gallant troops have continued to gain traction by recording astounding successes in our operational engagements.
“Since the last brief till today, we have sustained the mop up and clearance operations to clear the remnants of fleeing Boko Haram Terrorists in the Theatre with attendant successes.
“On January 11 at about 1555hrs, our troops in conjunction with vigilantes while on fighting patrol were ambushed along Tumbeiji village, about 25 km from Gaidam.
“A fire fight ensued which lasted for about 30 minutes where two terrorists were killed in action and two motorcycles were burnt.
“Our troops have conducted some clearance operations during the period under review.”
Similarly, Irabor said, on January 10 troops in Balayanti commenced advance to Buladuno and at about 1640hrs, they entered the terrorists location and burnt down an armoury.
Irabor also said on January 12 at about 0951hrs, troops operating in the general area of Damboa commenced clearance operation and came in contact with terrorists at about 1110hrs and in ensuing fight destroyed a newly built camp at Zana and rescued five women and nine children.
He said: “Furthermore, at a location about 5km from Yiwe, the troops discovered additional hostages comprising three women and five children with one of the women being a soldier’s wife that was taken hostage by the terrorists previously.”