The Nigerian military has intercepted a N2 million ransom payment to suspected members of Boko Haram.
The Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, Brigadier General Benard Onyeuko, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
Onyeuko said troops of 251 Task Force Battalion on November 17 in Strong Response Area Molai, acting on intelligence, intercepted some Boko Haram members while attempting to collect N2 million ransom from relations of some kidnapped persons.
He said: “The gallant troops engaged the Boko Haram criminals, forcing them to abort the collection of the payment as well as their captives.
“One Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorist was neutralised while others escaped with gunshot wounds. An AK-47 rifle and a motorcycle were recovered. The victims, including two women and three children, were all rescued unhurt.”
The military spokesperson stated further that on November 17, troops of 151 Battalion engaged Boko Haram insurgents around Zaye Ngusa Village, adding that one of them was killed.
He said: “Same day, troops of 202 Battalion conducted a successful ambush operation along one of the criminals’ crossing point leading to the neutralisation of one Boko Haram criminal while several others escaped with varying degree of gunshot wounds.
“Similarly, on 15 November, 2020, troops of 26 Task Force Brigade in Strong Response Area, Pulka, intercepted Boko Haram criminals’ logistics convoy.”
Onyeuko said recovered from the terrorists who fled were “eight bicycles, several bags of grains, assorted packets of drugs and other food items.”
