• Home
  • Anti-Corruption
  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
  • National
    • Government
  • Security
  • Features
  • State
  • Event
    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Search
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
Sign in
Welcome! Log into your account
Forgot your password? Get help
Password recovery
Recover your password
A password will be e-mailed to you.
PRNIGERIA PRNigeria News
PRNIGERIA PRNIGERIA
  • Home
  • Anti-Corruption
    • Chinese nationals jailed in Lagos

      Court Jails Nine Chinese Nationals for Cybercrime in Lagos

      ASUU

      Tackle Corruption, Institutional Decay – ASUU Charges FG

      EFCC Arraigns Bauchi Accountant General Over N8bn Fraud as Court Sentences…

      PRNigeria logo fearured image

      EFCC Arraigns Ex-Convict, Other for Naira Abuse in Lagos

      EFCC Arrests 37 Suspected Internet Fraudsters in Ilorin

  • Fact-Check
  • Economy
    • Ibrahim Yahaya Dandakata of Arewa Economic Forum AEF

      AEF Slams CBN’s New BDC Policy, Cites Threat to Northern Economy…

      Google Search Tech Digest

      7 Smart Google Search Tips That Will Save You Hours By…

      U.S. VISA

      REVEALED: Why US Reduced Visa Validity for Nigerians to 3 Months…

      Comptroller General Nigerian Customs Bashir Adewale

      Nigeria Customs Takes Anti-Money Laundering Fight to the Skies

      Comptroller General Nigerian Customs Bashir Adewale

      Nigeria Customs, ICPC and the Audit of Conscience

  • National
    • Customs boss, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi with NAFDAC DG Professor Moji Adeyeye

      Customs Hands Over 99.2bn Worth of Illicit Pharmaceutical Products to NAFDAC

      President Muhammadu Buhari

      Rat Story Was a Smokescreen to Divert Attention from Buhari’s Health…

      Nigerian Banks

      Nigeria’s Second Chance at a Global Cashless Future By Fatimah Yusuf…

      Air Chief Rallies New Intelligence Officers for Proactive Security Response

      Customs boss, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi with NAFDAC DG Professor Moji Adeyeye

      Customs, NAFDAC Activate MoU to Fight Substandard Products By Abdullah Maiwada

    • Government
      • Mohammed Idris

        Local Government Autonomy Not Negotiable — FG Declares

        NELFUND

        NELFUND Resumes Monthly Upkeep Payments, Credits Over 3,600 Students

        Seal of the Nigerian Senate

        NNPCL Must Account for ‘Unreconciled’ N210tr in Financial Statements – Senate…

        Senator Kashim Shettima

        Presidency Debunks Misleading Reports on VP Shettima’s Remarks at Book Launch

        Shamsedeen Babatunde Ogunjimi

        OAGF Explains Delay in June Salaries for Some Civil Servants

  • Security
    • Defence Minister Abubakar Badaru

      Nigeria’s Future Rests on Smart Defence Management — Badaru to Military…

      Customs boss, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi with NAFDAC DG Professor Moji Adeyeye

      Customs Hands Over 99.2bn Worth of Illicit Pharmaceutical Products to NAFDAC

      Troops Intercept 3 Gunrunners, Seize Weapons, Cash in Kaduna

      Military Troops

      Troops Bust IPOB/ESN Logistics Network, Arrest Informants in Southeast — DHQ

      Soludo and Radda’s Candid Confessions on Homegrown Terror By Tahir Ahmad

  • Features
    • Soludo and Radda’s Candid Confessions on Homegrown Terror By Tahir Ahmad

      Nigerian Banks

      Nigeria’s Second Chance at a Global Cashless Future By Fatimah Yusuf…

      Customs boss, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi with NAFDAC DG Professor Moji Adeyeye

      Customs, NAFDAC Activate MoU to Fight Substandard Products By Abdullah Maiwada

      Crowned Prince Salman of Saudi Arabia

      Rebranding Royalty: Saudi Arabia’s Response to Iran’s Fall By Baba El-Yakubu

      Kanam Ambush: The Danger of Embarking on an Unauthorized Mission By…

  • State
    • Troops Intercept 3 Gunrunners, Seize Weapons, Cash in Kaduna

      Soludo and Radda’s Candid Confessions on Homegrown Terror By Tahir Ahmad

      Police repatriates Chinese Fugitive wanted for Tax fraud

      Police Arrest, Repatriate Chinese Fugitive Wanted for Tax Fraud

      court Judiciary

      Murder of Wedding Guests: Plateau Court Remands 20 Suspects

      Army Vows to Tackle Oil Theft, Restore Nigeria’s 2mbpd Output

  • Event
    • Asiwaju Adegboyega Solomon Awomolo

      47 Years of Excellence: Honoring Asiwaju Awomolo, SAN

      NCoS inmates

      58 Inmates in Kano Sit for 2025 NECO Exams, Thanks to…

      Troops of the Nigerian Army giving a salute

      162nd Anniversary: Tinubu Salutes Nigerian Army, Hails Troops as Guardians of…

      President & Chairman of Governing Council, Dr. Ike Neliaku

      NIPR Lauds Nigerian PR Firms for Outstanding Performances at 2025 SABRE…

      SCN NGO signs partnership with PRNIGERIA

      SCN NGO Seals Partnership with PRNigeria to Amplify its Humanitarian Projects

    • PR Nigeria Award
  • E-Paper
Home Security Reporter’s Diary: When Journalists Tour the Battlefield in the North-East
  • Security

Reporter’s Diary: When Journalists Tour the Battlefield in the North-East

By
Abdulsalam Mahmud
-
February 7, 2020
Troops in North-East
Troops in North-East

Reporter’s Diary: When Journalists Tour the Battlefield in the North-East
By Abdulsalam Mahmud,

The Nigerian Army has organised a media tour to the North East Theatre of Operation especially in Borno State. The aim of the tour is to ascertain the level of performance in the war on terror against the dreaded and lingering Boko Haram’s insurgency ravaging the North East particularly in Borno State which is the epicentre of the conflict.

The team arrived Maiduguri International Airport on Wednesday 5th February 2020 at exactly 1:40pm from Abuja comprising different local and international media organisations.

On Thursday the 6th of February, 2020 the Acting GOC 7 Division, Brig. Gen Abdullahi Khalifa Ibrahim accompanied by the Acting Director Army Public Relations Colonel Sagir Musa led the media team with some of his Commanders and other senior officers under his area of responsibility to the war zone where troops and other security agencies are really battling the Boko Haram and ISWAP insurgents in the most difficult environments and conditions ever seen or imagined by this reporter. The condition is terribly pathetic and yet the Nigerian Army troops and other security agencies are there in the trenches under the heavy sun and cold weather conditions. Many have lost their lives, limbs and blood in the real war to end the most dreaded terrorist groups in the world.

In the light of the mission to unearth and report the true situation in this part of Nigeria, the team started the journey from Maiduguri to Konduga – Bama, Gwoza to Magadali for interactions with the local people in Bama, Gwoza, Pulka and Madagali.

From Bama the team proceeded to Banki junction, the road that leads to Cameroon and saw the troops in the trenches placing an eagle eye on the earmarked movement and main supply routes of the terrorists. At this point, the team witnessed and interacted with the commuters that came from Madagali, Gwoza and pulka areas and others coming from Maiduguri, Bama heading to Gwoza, Madagali up to Adamawa State. One interesting aspect of the interaction with the commuters was that they ply this road without escort thereby dispelling the rumour that no vehicle or human being use the road. As to whether the commuters don’t fear or experience Boko Haram attack on the road, all the ones interviewed acknowledged a serious reduction of terrorists’ attack on commuters along this road. Of course, there are recorded cases of such incidents but they were mostly not planned but through opportunistic encounters with marauders as opined by a passenger in one of the vehicles moving to Maiduguri from Pulka.

The team further moved to Gwoza to see the level of destruction, where the acting General Officer Commanding 7 Division took the team to a particular bridge that was destroyed by Boko Haram in Limankara, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

Read Also:

  • Local Government Autonomy Not Negotiable — FG Declares
  • Nigeria’s Future Rests on Smart Defence Management — Badaru to Military Leaders
  • Customs Hands Over 99.2bn Worth of Illicit Pharmaceutical Products to NAFDAC

Limankara – Gwoza is a mountainous community housing the famous Mobile Police Training College that was once over taken by the terrorists until it was recovered by the Nigerian Army and handed over back to the Nigerian Police. At the area, one could see Army, police, Vigilantes and hunters providing security in the college and the Limankara community as a whole. The bombed bridge is also yet to be repaired or reconstructed by the concerned authorities.

Generally, the condition of the road from Maiduguri to Bama, Banki junction, pulka, Gwoza upto Madagali the last point of the tour, the condition of the road is horrible. This, in itself, is another glaring insecurity. Most times terrorists planted Improvised Explosive Devices that resulted in the killings and injuries of security agents and innocent citizens and the possibility of accidents appears on the increase owing to the bad conditions of the road. At one instance, the team saw a Bombed bridge that was rebuilt by the Nigerian Army engineers to ease troops and commuters movements.

From Gwoza – Limankara the team moved to Madagali where the commanding officer of 144 Battalion that is stationed in the area Lieutenant Colonel U.S. Abdulsalam who explained the efforts of his troops in the struggles to end the insurgency.

At the location, the troops looked happy, cheerful and formed up for the Acting GOC’s address to officers and men of the Battalion. He charged the troops to remain focused and more committed in making sure the activities of Boko haram come to an end. He conveyed the appreciation of the Chief of Army Staff for their gallantry and sacrifices to the nation. He urged them to redouble efforts to end the menace.

In Madagali, some of some journalists sneaked to the town where they interacted and interviewed some of the residents as well as the commuters. They both expressed commendations and appreciations to the Nigerian Army and the security agents for restoring peace in their area and for ensuring that terrorists are not allowed to come back to Madagali and surrounding localities.

Response from Bama resident one Abubakar Muhammad was encouraging as he said that peace has been restored in Bama as witnessed in the commercial activities in the Bama market. Many heavy loaded trailers were moving freely along the road heading towards Bama and Gwoza areas.

Babagana Maina, a Bama resident said they are living peacefully in Bama town, but that the only challenge they are facing is the occasional terrorist attacks on neighbouring villages which he urged the Army to brace up for the challenge.

Brig. Gen A.G. Mahmuda, the Brigade Commander 26 Brigade Task Force Brigade explained some of the challenges in his area of responsibility.

According to him “Our major challenge is the Improvised Explosive Device that is always put in place by Boko Haram Terrorists, but we are bracing up to the situation because our explosive ordinance device team can now locate and detonate or remove the IED that are planted by Boko Haram,” he revealed.

On the whole, the war on terror is on course. There is no doubt the security agencies are on top of the situation, are indeed denying the insurgents freedom of action and they seem to degrade the terrorists as the terrorists only strike on soft targets in addition to flamboyant occasional encounters with the troops. In the face of the media tour of the battlefield, it is safe to say that the security agencies deserve support, prayers and encouragement from Nigerians.

Mahmud Abdulsalam is a PRNigeria staff writer

VISIT OUR OTHER WEBSITES
PRNigeria.com EconomicConfidential.com PRNigeria.com/Hausa/
EmergencyDigest.com PoliticsDigest.ng TechDigest.ng
HealthDigest.ng SpokesPersonsdigest.com TeensDigest.ng
ArewaAgenda.com Hausa.ArewaAgenda.com YAShuaib.com
  • TAGS
  • Boko Haram
  • Media Tour
  • North East
Previous articleYiaga Africa marks 13 years of civic activism, community organizing and democracy promotion
Next articleChibuike Forfeits $2.5m, Goes to Jail- Apex Court Verdict
Abdulsalam Mahmud
Abdulsalam Mahmud
https://prnigeria.com
PRNigeria is the pioneer Press Release Distribution agency in Nigeria. A member of image Merchant Promotions limited, PRNigeria encourages individuals and organisations to be more transparent in their information management. with dedicated Editorial staffs, the PRNigeria ensures that information provided on its platforms are timely, factual and authoritative Read more at: //prnigeria.com/about/
Facebook Twitter

RELATED ARTICLESMORE FROM AUTHOR

Defence Minister Abubakar Badaru

Nigeria’s Future Rests on Smart Defence Management — Badaru to Military Leaders

Customs boss, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi with NAFDAC DG Professor Moji Adeyeye

Customs Hands Over 99.2bn Worth of Illicit Pharmaceutical Products to NAFDAC

Troops Intercept 3 Gunrunners, Seize Weapons, Cash in Kaduna

Military Troops

Troops Bust IPOB/ESN Logistics Network, Arrest Informants in Southeast — DHQ

Soludo and Radda’s Candid Confessions on Homegrown Terror By Tahir Ahmad

President Muhammadu Buhari

Rat Story Was a Smokescreen to Divert Attention from Buhari’s Health – Garba Shehu Reveals

Air Chief Rallies New Intelligence Officers for Proactive Security Response

Customs boss, CGC Bashir Adewale Adeniyi with NAFDAC DG Professor Moji Adeyeye

Customs, NAFDAC Activate MoU to Fight Substandard Products By Abdullah Maiwada

Police repatriates Chinese Fugitive wanted for Tax fraud

Police Arrest, Repatriate Chinese Fugitive Wanted for Tax Fraud

court Judiciary

Murder of Wedding Guests: Plateau Court Remands 20 Suspects

Army Vows to Tackle Oil Theft, Restore Nigeria’s 2mbpd Output

Military Troops in Action

Army Troops Smash Arms Syndicate in Taraba, Recover Rifle, Ammunition

Recent Posts

  • Local Government Autonomy Not Negotiable — FG Declares
  • Nigeria’s Future Rests on Smart Defence Management — Badaru to Military Leaders
  • Customs Hands Over 99.2bn Worth of Illicit Pharmaceutical Products to NAFDAC
  • Troops Intercept 3 Gunrunners, Seize Weapons, Cash in Kaduna
  • Troops Bust IPOB/ESN Logistics Network, Arrest Informants in Southeast — DHQ
  • Home
  • About
  • Adverts
  • Contact
© 2020 PRNigeria. All Rights Reserved.
Latest News
Local Government Autonomy Not Negotiable — FG DeclaresNigeria’s Future Rests on Smart Defence Management — Badaru to Military LeadersCustoms Hands Over 99.2bn Worth of Illicit Pharmaceutical Products to NAFDACTroops Intercept 3 Gunrunners, Seize Weapons, Cash in KadunaTroops Bust IPOB/ESN Logistics Network, Arrest Informants in Southeast — DHQSoludo and Radda’s Candid Confessions on Homegrown Terror By Tahir AhmadRat Story Was a Smokescreen to Divert Attention from Buhari’s Health - Garba Shehu RevealsNigeria's Second Chance at a Global Cashless Future By Fatimah Yusuf UsmanAir Chief Rallies New Intelligence Officers for Proactive Security ResponseCustoms, NAFDAC Activate MoU to Fight Substandard Products By Abdullah MaiwadaNELFUND Resumes Monthly Upkeep Payments, Credits Over 3,600 StudentsNNPCL Must Account for ‘Unreconciled’ N210tr in Financial Statements - Senate InsistsPresidency Debunks Misleading Reports on VP Shettima’s Remarks at Book LaunchPolice Arrest, Repatriate Chinese Fugitive Wanted for Tax FraudMurder of Wedding Guests: Plateau Court Remands 20 Suspects
X whatsapp