Boko Haram Forced Out Of Bama

The Boko Haram militants fled Bama town on Tuesday, following a
fierce fight between them and the Nigerian military.The sect had on
Monday launched a daring attack on the town as part of moves to expand
its caliphate from Gwoza, which it captured last week.

Investigations revealed that the military authorities called in the
fighter jets of the Nigeria Air Force after hours of fierce fighting
between troops and the insurgents to carry out sustained air strikes
on them.

A security source said on Tuesday that the military leadership in the
North-East had made preparation for the strafing of the strategic town
by telling all the civilians and even military personnel to relocate
from the vicinity of areas under the control of the insurgents.

It was learnt that several security personnel and civilians who obeyed
the call of the military were being quartered at Sector 8 and Sector 9
in Maiduguri.It was further gathered that the intensity of the air
attacks on the insurgents aided the soldiers in pushing them out of
Bama.

As the time of filing this report, the insurgents were said to be
massing on the outskirt of Bama in another bid to carry out another
assault on the town.The security source said that the Monday's attack
by the insurgents was coordinated from Gwoza, which the insurgents
captured last week.

The security source said that soldiers and the insurgents were still
engaged in a gun duel over the control of the town even though the
troops had been able to push them out of the town.Meanwhile a highly
placed military source Monday debunked the claim the Nigeria Air Force
had received 12 fighter jets recently.The source said that while it
was true that the Air Force had received some fighter jets, the number
was not up to 12.

The source said, "While it is true that the Air Force has taken stock
of some fighter jets, I can confidently tell you that it is not in
that number you are talking about."

PUNCH correspondent made several attempts to speak with the Director
of Defence Information, Maj. Gen. Chris Olukolade, without success as
the calls to his mobile telephone line did not connect.

PUNCH