Troops of Operation Tura Takaibango have eliminated five Boko Haram/Islamic States West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists in their attempt to overrun Abbagajiri and Dusula towns in Damboa Local Government Area of Borno.

Brig.-Gen. Benard Onyeuko, Acting Director, Defence Media Operations, in a statement on Friday, said the troops had sustained an onslaught against the terrorists in the North-East.

Onyeuko said the troops of the 402 Special Forces Task Force Brigade had on Wednesday, identified and encircled some terrorists’ enclaves at Abbagajiri and inflicted heavy casualty on them.

According to him, in the aftermath of the decisive encounter, five Boko Haram terrorists were neutralised while few others are believed to have escaped with gunshot wounds.

He said that troops also captured one Pulemyot Kalashnikova Tankovyy(PKT) gun, three AK-47 rifles, four extra AK-47 rifle magazines and a vulcanising machine.

Onyeuko added that foodstuffs, some Improvised Explosive Device (IED) making materials including the criminals’ hideouts and clothing among others were also captured and destroyed.

He said the renewed onslaught against the remnants of Boko Haram/ISWAP criminals by the troops was indicative of the end of all criminal elements within the North-East.

According to him, troops of Operation Tura Takaibango are highly commended for their dedication and determination in flushing out remnants of the terrorists from their hideouts.

“They are also encouraged not to relent but build on the successes recorded.

“The entire populace of the North-East region are hereby assured of the Nigerian Army’s renewed vigour and determination to crush the remnants of Boko Haram/Islamic State’s West Africa Province criminals from their enclaves in this zone,” he said.

Governor Abdulahi Sule of Nasarawa State has confirmed the presence of the Boko Haram terrorist group in his State which has been witnessing serious security challenges recently.

Governor Sule disclosed this on Friday while briefing State House reporters after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

The governor, who said the group was part of the elements fueling the security challenges in the State, recalled that the terrorists had been dislodged from their camp in Toto before regrouping at the Nasarawa/Benue border from where they are now launching attacks on residents.

Engr. Sule, who said some of the Boko Haram elements active in Nasarawa State belong to the Darussalam group that had been dislodged from Niger State, disclosed that a lot of them were hitherto killed while 900 were arrested after a joint security operation.

He said their membership of the Boko Haram insurgency group was confirmed by those arrested, expressing confidence that action will be taken to curtail the menace, having briefed the President on the situation.

He said that his meeting with President Buhari focused on the insecurity issue and the possible federal government take-over of Jitata road, which serves as an alternative route from the state to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has said restructuring alone cannot solve Nigeria’s problem.

Jonathan gave the remark on Thursday while speaking at the 18th Daily Trust Dialogue with the theme: ‘Restructuring in Nigeria: Why? How? When?’

He, however, advised Nigerians to exploit every opportunity on dialogue in order to make the nation better.

He said, “My conviction is that discussion on restructuring will not help except we restructure our minds because some of the challenging issues at the national level still exist at the state and local levels

“For instance, in some states, it is not easy for some persons to win an election because of the area they come from. The language they speak or their religious belief.

“Take a look at how local government elections are conducted at the state level. Why is it very difficult for an opposition party to win a chairmanship or councillorship seat in a state, despite the fact that the same party probably secured seats in the state Assembly and National Assembly elections, organised by a federal election management body?

“This shows that restructuring alone may not solve all the anomalies in the system.”