By Desire Emmanuel
Members of the Islamic terrorists, Boko Haram, have killed a Commanding Officer of a troop as well as some soldiers while many of them were also killed during a gun battle in Borno State.
The Nigerian Army announced the incident on its Facebook page on Monday morning, saying troops of Joint Task Force Operation HADIN KAI under the 21 Special Armoured Brigade engaged the insurgents in the gun duel on October 17 around Kashimri general area of Bama Local Government Area in the state.
It was gathered that the troops located and destroyed identified Boko Haram camps in the area, thereby frustrating the terrorists’ plans to attack civilians and disrupt socioeconomic activities in the area and during the operation, the troops engaged the terrorists in a fierce gun fight.
The Nigerian Army wrote: “However, the encounter took its toll on our side, as the Commanding Officer, 202 Tank Battalion, Lieutenant Colonel Aliyu Saidu Paiko, and a few other soldiers paid the supreme price, as they fell in battle.
“These brave heroes fought for the peace of our great nation, and their legacies shall endure forever. The Nigerian Army will continue to honor the weight of their sacrifices as their loss comes with the reminder of our unyielding resolve to stamp out the scourge of terrorism from our great nation, Nigeria.
“The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Olufemi Oluyede, on behalf of the officers and soldiers of the Nigerian Army, hereby extends his heartfelt condolences to the families of the departed. They were not just soldiers but fathers, brothers, and sons who expressed immeasurable courage by taking the last stand in the face of adversity, and we stand together in this time of grief.”
