Troops will soon recapture Madagali, says GOC

Troops have recaptured almost all towns in Adamawa State earlier held by insurgents except Madagali, the headquarters of Madagali Local Government Area.
The GOC, 3 Division, Major General Fatai Alli, stated this on Tuesday.
Alli disclosed this when some newsmen were taken on a guided tour of liberated towns in Hong, Mubi and Michika Local Government Areas of the state.
Major General Chris Ogunkolade, the Director of Defence Information, who led the tour, said it was to give the journalists the opportunity to see the situation on ground.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that some of the recaptured towns include Hong, Kaala, Makera, Mararraba Mubi, Maiha, Mubi North, Mubi South, Uba, Kudzum, Bazza, Michika and Shuwa.
The GOC said operations to recapture Madagali were ongoing and vowed that all territories held by the terrorists would be liberated soon.
Alli attributed the successes recorded by troops in the war against the insurgents to recent acquisition of weapons, better coordination, motivation and training of personnel.
He said: “Boko Haram has been substantially degraded.
“The flow of arms and ammunition to them has reduced drastically.
“Their financial support has been blocked by financial measures adopted by the international community.”
Also, Brigadier General Victor Ezeugwu, the Commanding Officer of 28 Task Force Brigade, Hong, described the recapture of Mararraba Mubi as a “watershed” in the fight against Boko Haram in Adamawa State.
Ezeugwu said the town was a strategic supply route for the insurgents.
He said the brigade had also captured over 100 insurgents and handed them over to relevant security agencies for further investigation.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that among the three towns visited, Michika was the most hit by the terrorists, as most structures in the town had been destroyed.
Some of the structures destroyed included the Divisional Police Office, Local Government secretariat, Emir’s palace, Mosques, Churches, banks, market and the general hospital.
It was reliably gathered that the insurgents destroyed the structures while fleeing the onslaught by the military to recapture the town.
NAN reports that residents of the affected areas had not returned as at the time of the visit.
Meanwhile, the Emir of Mubi, Alhaji Abubakar Ahmadu, has restated his call on his subjects to return, saying that the area had been secured by the military.
Ahmadu told the journalists that paid him a visit at his palace that it was important for the residents to return so as to help in the rebuilding process.
He said: “I will plead with the people of Mubi to come home so that we develop Mubi.
“Mubi is now in peace, so everybody should come.
“I have come back to Mubi.
“I am not going anywhere except on official assignment.”