The Nigerian Army has rescued a 6 year-old boy from Boko Haram captivity in Bama Local Government Area of Borno.
The troops also killed three Boko Haram insurgents in gun duel at various insurgents’ enclaves in the area.
Brig. Gen. Sani Kukasheka Usman, the Director, Army Public Relations, made the disclosure in a statement issued in Maiduguri.
Usman said that troops operating under operation ‘DEEP PUNCH’ encountered the insurgents at various locations, which included Abaram, Churuchuru and Aulajiri villages of Bama council Bornu State.
He explained that the operation was conducted by combined troops of the 202 Battalion, 21 Brigade of Operations LAFIYA DOLE.
On sighting troops, the insurgents withdrew in disarray as the troops overpowered them with a heavy fire, he said.
” Troops neutralised three terrorists and rescued a 6 year-old boy and recovered two Dane Guns.
“Similarly, troops of 151 Battalion, 21 Brigade on patrol encountered some Boko Haram terrorists along Bama-BOCOBS road.”
The troops engaged the terrorists in a heavy fire fight and neutralised quite a number of them, while some of the insurgents escaped with gunshot wounds, he also explained.
” Regrettably, a soldier sustained injury in action against the insurgents. The soldier was referred to the military medical centre for medical attention”.
Meanwhile, a Federal High Court sitting in Kainji, Niger, has convicted and sentenced 45 Boko Haram members to between 3 and 31 years in jail.
This is contained in a statement issued on Friday by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, and signed by his Special Adviser, Mr Segun Adeyemi.
The Minister said that the court decision followed the conclusion of the first phase of the trial of 575 Boko Haram suspects brought before it.
He said the Court discharged 468 suspects who had no case to answer, struck out 34 cases while 28 other suspects were remanded for trial in Abuja and Minna.
Mohammed said that the court ordered that the 468 discharged persons should undergo de-radicalisation and rehabilitation programmes before handing them over to their respective state governments.
He said the Court adjourned the trial of other suspects to January 2018
The Minister recalled that the trial had commenced with the formal remand of 1,669 suspects for a period of 90 days.
He said that the court had ordered that the suspects be arraigned within the specified period or released unconditionally.
(NAN)
