The Nigerian Army on Wednesday confirmed the return of 39 soldiers after they were declared missing last week following an insurgents attack on Boko Haram group in the border town of Gashigar in Borno State.
Speaking with Newsmen in Maiduguri, the Theater Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Major Gen. Lucky Irabor who confirmed the return of 39 soldiers, also admitted that a few soldiers were yet to be found after they embarked in the ongoing operation aimed at combating terrorist and helping in the release of the remaining Chibok girls in spite of the released of the 21 girls by the insurgents.
‘It is true that about 39 soldiers were declared missing. I want to inform you that a sizeable number of our soldiers had returned to base, I think it is only a handful that have not been found, operations are ongoing in the area. I think that we will give you the details in due course; we have a task before us that anyone held by the Boko Haram terrorists must be rescued. We will do everything possible to rescue them.’ He also confirmed the arrest of 30 suspects in connection with the crime of collaborating with the terrorists. ‘So far, we have arrested 30 suspects in connection with the crime of collaborating with the terrorists. We have four soldiers, two policemen, vigilantes and other civilians, for some reasons we cannot give out their names for now, but we will do that at the end of the investigation.’