The troops of the Seventh Division on Sunday averted what would have been a brutal Boko Haram siege on the Maiduguri, the Borno State capital by arresting a top commander of the deadly sect who would have attacked the city. The Media Coordinator of Operation Lafiya Dole, Col. Tukur Gusau, said in a statement on Monday that the suspect identified as John Trankil, was arrested with eight others at Kasuwar Shanu in Maiduguri on Sunday.
He said that Trankil confessed during interrogation that the nine insurgents sneaked into Maiduguri with a Toyota Hilux vehicle to carry out attacks in selected parts of the city. According to him, each of the terror suspects, armed with AK 47 assault rifle, also had 20 Improvised Explosive Devices prepared for detonation in selected areas of Maiduguri during the planned siege.
He quoted the Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj. Gen. Yusha’u Abubakar, as having commended the troops for their vigilance. Abubakar was also quoted as having called for increased vigilance in checkpoints, markets, worship centres, motor parks and schools.
Gusau stated also that the troops of the 21 Brigade and the fighter pilots of the Nigerian Air Force discovered and destroyed IEDs and rockets along Bama-Gonin Kurmi near Bama.
According to him, the military recovered ‘gas cylinders, welding machines, pipes and poles, locally-made rocket shells, large quantity of assorted chemicals, unprimed IEDs and various technical and laboratory equipment suspected to have been stolen from schools’ laboratories around Bama by members of Boko Haram.
The Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sani Usman, told our correspondent on the telephone on Monday that the military would come out with the real identities of the terrorists involved in the foiled attack on Maiduguri. When asked why a Boko Haram insurgent would be identified as John, he said:
“Sometimes, the name they give will not necessarily be their real names. This is just the preliminary investigation. Further investigation will be made. The full investigation will reveal his true identity and those of his colleagues.”