No Cause For Alarm Over Insurgents' Presence In Marte -- DHQ

The Defence Headquarters said that there was no cause for alarm over
the reported retaken of Marte town in Borno by insurgents as steps
were being taken to address the untoward development.

The DHQ said in a statement posted on its website on Saturday that
"there has not been any static deployment of troops in Marte for quite
sometimes.''

The statement said that was in line with the need to emphasise more
aggressive patrol of many threatened isolated communities while
assault on forests and mountain hideouts of terrorists was ongoing.

"Only occasional patrols and surveillance have been undertaken towards
the area as the bulk of troops are engaged in the operation to clear
the terrorists from all identified enclaves in the forest

"Besides, Marte had been deserted by citizens most of whom had fled to
other towns while others are in IDP camps located in Maiduguri and
other places.

"It is understandable that terrorists escaping from the offensive
operations in Sambisa and other enclaves are looking for place of
respite,'' it said.

According to the statement, they (terrorists) must have found Marte
deserted and decided to harbour there.

"Now that their presence is reported, the issue will definitely be
addressed in a very short while.

"There is really no cause for alarm in the way some reports are
presenting this situation as if it is a meaningful resurgence of
terrorists.

"This will only fool the terrorists and their sympathisers into false
celebration. There will certainly be no respite for terrorists
anywhere in Nigeria,'' it said.
--NAN