•FG trains 80 pilots
From Magnus Eze and Molly Kilete, Abuja
The Borno State Police Command yesterday confirmed the killing of five persons in a suicide bomb attack in Konduga Local Government Area of the state.
Spokesman of the command, Mr Victor Isuku, made the confirmation in a statement in Maiduguri.
“Information received from Konduga has it that on Monday at about 2130 hrs, three female suicide bombers detonated explosives strapped on their bodies at Shuwa settlement of Mandarari Ward Konduga, killing themselves and two others.
“While six persons sustained injuries, normalcy has been restored in the area,” Isuku said
The command had on May 13 confirmed a twin suicide attack that rocked the premises of University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID).
According to Isuku, three suicide bombers hurriedly detonated IEDs strapped to their bodies, killing themselves and a university security personnel.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government yesterday, disclosed that it trained 80 young military pilots ready to go on suicide mission at any moment.
It also said the Nigerian Army would soon establish a brigade command in every state capital.
Minister of Defence, Brig. Gen. Mansur Dan-Ali (retd), made the disclose at the mid-term town hall meeting in Abuja.
He explained that prior to the training of the young pilots, most of the military pilots were officers of the ranks of Wing Commander and Commodore.
He said the army established a Motorcycle Battalion to ease penetration of remote places; including the North East, where movement had been difficult.
The minister attributed the successful military operation in the North East to the establishment of Operation Lafiya Dole, which he noted brought all the security forces under a common command.
He announced that over 65 per cent of the country’s territory in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states, which was under the control of insurgents two years ago, had been cleared of insurgents.
Dan-Ali disclosed that 20,000 ghost workers were removed from the ministry’s payroll. He said removing the ghost workers helped government save millions of naira.