Two soldiers, yesterday, paid the supreme price during a gun duel with Islamic State’s West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in Marte town in Borno State.
Two staff members of the Damboa Local Education Authority (LEA) were killed yesterday in a bomb blast along the Damboa–Maiduguri highway. Consequently, the Assistant Inspector General of Police (AIG), Zone 15, Kenechukwu Onwuemelie, has convened an emergency security stakeholders’ meeting in Maiduguri to address rising security threats, including isolated attacks, banditry, kidnapping and unregulated movement of people and goods in the state.
The terrorists also set some vehicles belonging to the military ablaze. Intelligence sources said the terrorists infiltrated the town around 2.00 a.m.
Counter-terrorism media expert, Zagazola Makama, hinted that they were engaged by troops of the battalion stationed in Marte, with reinforcement from the Brigade Headquarters and close air support from the Nigerian Air Force (NAF).
The coordinated counter-offensive reportedly forced the terrorists to retreat, abandoning their plans to overrun the town. The attackers reportedly fled with some motorcycles and two vehicles. Some unserviceable military vehicles, classified as beyond economic repair, were also set ablaze by the insurgents during the raid.
“There is no report of any arms or ammunition being taken by the enemy,” a military officer confirmed. As of the time of filing this report, the Brigade Commander was on the ground in Marte to assess the situation.
SOURCES revealed that the bomb blast victims, identified as Blessings Luka and Gideon Bitterleaf, were travelling from Damboa to Maiduguri when the incident occurred.
According to witnesses, the deceased were seated in front of a Toyota Hiace van transporting mangoes when the vehicle struck an improvised explosive device suspected to have been planted by terrorists.
The explosion killed them instantly, leaving other occupants injured and sparking fresh concerns over the safety of commuters on the volatile route.
A source within Damboa confirmed the identities of the victims, describing them as committed and hardworking education officials.
DURING the meeting at the Police Headquarters in Maiduguri, yesterday, AIG Onwuemelie stressed the importance of collaboration between security agencies and local stakeholders to build sustainable security frameworks.
According to him, despite considerable progress in counter-insurgency and restoration of civil authority across communities, Borno must remain vigilant, as the state is still facing threats such as banditry, highway robbery, kidnapping for ransom, youth restiveness, among others.
He urged stakeholders to share responsibility in ensuring security, highlighting the critical role of grassroots intelligence, proper documentation and community engagement.
“This engagement is part of our efforts to consolidate gains made in the fight against insecurity and align with the strategic vision of the Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, to reduce crime by 40 per cent nationwide in 2025,” the AIG stated.
