Military Orders Arrest Of General For Running Into Bush With Troops In Fear Of Boko Haram

There were indications, weekend, that the Army High Command has
ordered the arrest and detention of a Brigadier-General attached to
the 3rd Division of the Nigerian Army (names with-held) over
allegations of negligence that gave Boko Haram terrorists an
opportunity to overrun some communities in Borno State recently.

Vanguard reports that the senior officer who hails from one of the
states in the South West, was the officer coordinating the military
onslaught to dislodge several Boko Haram terrorists from Bama, Gwoza,
Madagali, Michika and other communities in Borno and Adamawa states
that later fell into the hands of the terrorists.

The General was accused of providing poor leadership and failed to
instil confidence in the soldiers, resulting in several soldiers
allegedly abandoning the fight against the terrorists while several of
them lost their lives.

According to the source, when the Boko Haram insurgents came in full
force to attack Bama,some top brass of the unit offered no resistance
by running into the bush.

The source disclosed that the insurgents entered the Brigade
Headquarters and Armoury freely and carted away vehicles and Tanks.

President of the Court Martial, Brigadier General. Musa Sain Yusuf
after the Inauguration of Court Martial to try soldiers accused of
mutiny tasked with fighting Boko Haram militants in Abuja on October
2, 2014

Vanguard was told that some of the commanders were rescued from the
bush by a battalion deployed at Konduga, which was stationed about 15
kilometers behind Bama, the last deployment before Maiduguri.

The Military high command was said to be furious that the insurgents
after taking over Bama and killing hundreds of civilians ransacked the
armoury with no soldier offering resistance, leaving the insurgents to
have a free day.

According to the source; after seizing the equipment at the 21 Brigade
Bama, the terrorists used the same weapons to attack the infantry
battalion at Konduga but met their waterloo where hundreds of the Boko
Haram insurgents were killed.

The source added that the 21 Armoured Brigade which had several
armoured tanks could not withstand the battle that was later decided
by less than 400 infantry soldiers in Konduga.

It was further gathered that after running away from Bama, some top
brass of the brigade and about 800 troops went straight to Maiduguri
instead of joining the troops in Konduga to repel the attack.

To face court-martial

Vanguard gathered that a board of inquiry is investigating the
conduct of the officers for acts of negligence among other offences.
Military sources further told Vanguard that Boko Haram terrorists were
not really better armed in the terror war but rather leadership of
troops on ground has been discovered as a problem that needed to be
tackled.

Giving an instance, a source said: "Commanders of troops are supposed
to lead soldiers from the frontline but what we discovered is that
most of the commanders operate and give orders from the rear.

"If not that our soldiers are rugged and know that the Boko Haram
terrorists could not match them professionally, what we are seeing
today would have been the opposite. Actually, when terrorists see
soldiers coming, they run for their lives, but due to poor leadership,
the back-up arrangements are not activated. When soldiers therefore
run out of ammunition and the terrorists regroup, soldiers will have
no other choice than to retreat".

The source cited the successes recorded severally in the battles to
take over Konduga as the perfect way the Nigeria Army operates, noting
that even though there were four different attacks with heavy
weaponry, the army was able to defeat them and recovered stolen
weapons.

Military extends restriction of vehicular movement in Maiduguri.
Meanwhile, the ban on vehicular movements in Maiduguri, which was to
last from 5 pm last Friday till 7 am today has been extended till
tomorrow. The ban was imposed following intelligence reports that
Boko Haram terrorists will attack mosques, markets and other public
places during the sallah period.

A statement by the Deputy Director, Army Public Relations of 7
Division Col. Sanni Usman, said "all necessary security measures are
being implemented, while members of the public are hereby requested to
comply fully with this embargo as defaulters will be severely
sanctioned".

He said, however, that workers on essential services such as hospitals
and fire services with clear identification are exempted from the
restriction.

Colonel Usman then advised members of the public to report any
suspicious movement of persons or vehicles around their environment to
the nearest security agencies.