Unic Press UK: The Nigerian Army issued a statement Friday, confirming that the Jihad terrorist group, Boko Haram attacked the 157 Task Force Battalion Defensive Location – a military base in Metele, Guzamala Local Government Area, Borno State, in the North East region – on November 18, 2018.
Excerpts from the statement yesterday, which has been published on the Facebook page and Twitter account of the Nigerian Army reads:
“Whilst it is true that there was an attack on the location on 18 November 2018, it has however, become necessary to correct several misinformation being circulated with regards to this unfortunate event. It is important for the public to note that the NA has laid down procedures for reporting incidents that involve its personnel who fall casualty in action. Out of respect for the families of our gallant troops, the NOKs are first notified before any form of public information so as to avoid exacerbating the grief family members would bear, were they to discover such from unofficial sources. The NA sincerely, wishes to thank the various arms of government, MDAs and sister security agencies that have stood with her in these trying times; by commiserating with the families of the fallen heroes who have paid the supreme price for the defence of our dearly beloved country.”
A few days ago, several local media in Nigeria had reported that the Boko Haram – also known as the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) – attacked a military base in Metele, Borno State of Nigeria, and killed an estimated 100 soldiers of the Nigerian Army.
Following the incident, the Nigerian Senate stood down on Thursday; and adjourned to Tuesday, the 27th November 2018, as the country mourns the brutal killing of soldiers [including a senior army commander], during an attack at the 157 Task Force Battalion Defensive Location, Metele.
With regard to the attack, an investigative journalist, Ahmad Salkida has given a tip of an insight in a series of tweets.
#ISWAP in Al-Naba news confirmed that it carried out attacks on a military base in Metele, on 18th and a second one on 19th/20th, when the military went to collect the fallen comrades. In all, the terror group claimed to have killed 100 soldiers.
THREAD
— Ahmad Salkida (@A_Salkida) November 23, 2018
If the current trend of recruitments and attacks continues, #ISWAP looks set to be the most lethal branch of #IS in the world. The pace of recruitment today, is almost similar to 2013/14. Today, there is a competition to join Jihadi herd between Nigerians and Francophone youths.
— Ahmad Salkida (@A_Salkida) November 23, 2018
The current video that is trending online (as pictured here), is not the latest attack in Metele, it is the Zari attack on 30th August 2018. Now, the question is, where will #ISWAP or #BokoHaram attack next, because the trend is apparently predictable? pic.twitter.com/gA4CgDUnCg
— Ahmad Salkida (@A_Salkida) November 23, 2018
About the Boko Haram
- Boko Haram is also known as the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).
- Jama’atu Ahl as‐Sunnah li‐Da’awati wal‐Jihad [simply called Boko Haram] is a Jihad-driven terrorist organisation that was founded in 2002 by one Mohammed Yusuf. This terror group held the belief that Western education/lifestyles were completely against the teachings of Islam.
- M Yusuf, the founder/spiritual head of Boko Haram was ‘extrajudicially’ executed in 2009 after the group clashed with Nigerian Police Forces in 2009.
- The end of Yusuf’s earthly life in the hands of Nigerian security operatives is widely seen as a critical turning point in the history of the Boko Haram. Many have contended that the killing of Yusuf further radicalized his followers, thereby escalating a bad crisis.
- It was after the killing of Yusuf that this terror group commenced full military operations in 2009, killing more than 15,000 people as of 2016.
- They have attacked a number of places, including military barracks, police stations, churches, mosques, motor park stations, United Nations building in Nigeria’s federal capital territory, and so on.
- In 2015, Boko Haram pledged allegiance to Daesh (Islamic State).
- Boko Haram’s goals center on Islamization of Nigeria, to enforce sharia law throughout the gamut of Nigeria. This goal is utter delusion as Nigeria is a secular state, a multi-ethnic and multi-cultural country of circa 200 million people. More than 50% of Nigeria’s population are Christians, most of whom reside in the southern part of the country.
- Abubukar Shekau, an eccentric character who appears deluded by virtue of his utterances in Boko Haram’s numerous videos, is the head of the main group. This is one man the Nigerian security forces had claimed several times to have killed, but each time the news of his death circulates, the man Shekau rises from nowhere proclaiming to the world that he is still alive.
- In 2015, the Global Terrorism Index, published by the Institute for Economics and Peace, said that Boko Haram topped the ranking of terror groups having killed 6,644 people in Nigeria in 2014 when compared to Daesh’s tally of 6,074 people in the same period.