Army confirms death of another Lt Col in Boko Haram ambush

Another top Nigerian soldier has been confirmed dead after a Boko Haram ambush from which he was initially injured. In a press statement released on Wednesday, November 23, by Major General Lucky Irabor, the commander of the Nigerian Army in the north east, the military confirmed the death of BU Umar, while another lieutenant identified as Muktar, was confirmed dead during the ambush by the insurgents. “On 15 Nov 16 at about 0930hrs own troops while on patrol to MUBI encountered an IED explosion along Bitta – Pirang road and thereafter were ambushed by BHT”, Mr. Irabor, a major general, said, according to the text of a press conference he delivered on Wednesday.



Colonel Abu Ali was recently killed by Boko Haram ambush. “Troops successfully cleared the ambush after a fight and unfortunately the Commanding Officer, Lt Col BU Umar lost his life on the spot. Subsequently, Lt Muktar also died in the hospital where 8 others soldiers who are wounded in action were receiving treatment. The wounded soldiers have been responding to treatment. “In all the operations, a total of 5,235 people were rescued from the BHT,” his statement read in part. While explaining the reason for the recent successes recorded by the insurgents, the Army commander said: “The impact of recent bombings in Maiduguri, though sad and unfortunate, was minimal due to the alertness of troops and other security agencies.
“Apart from the one wherein 2 CJTF personnel were killed and some others wounded, only the terrorists died, while one was captured alive. The captured suicide bomber is assisting in the investigation into cases of suicide bombings.
“The incidents are only indicative of a weakened and defeated BHT. Their ignoble adventure is destined to fail totally.” Recall that Nigerians were thrown into a state of serious mourning when Lieutenant Colonel Abu Ali was killed alongside six other soldiers under his watch. Barely two weeks after, the report about the death of Lt Col BU Umar sent shock waves across the country as well, as the Nigerian troops continued to be defeated by renewed and emphatic Boko Haram attacks. Furthermore, this report is coming barely hours after Amnesty International accused the Nigerian soldiers of killing over 150 pro-Biafran agitators during different protests carried out in the eastern part of the country. The Nigerian army has denied killing members of the Movement for the Actualisation of a Sovereign State Of Biafra (MASSOB) and the Indigenous People Of Biafra (IPOB) and accused them of committing heinous crimes. In a statement by Colonel Sani Kukasheka Usman who is the spokesperson of the army, he reacted to a planned release of Amnesty International that reportedly accused the army of carry out extra-judicial killing of member of the separatist groups.