Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
The Nigerian Army has confiscated and destroyed food supplies, assorted provision and vehicles alleged to be logistics being transported to Boko Haram in their enclaves in Borno.
Acting General Officer Commanding (GOC), Army 7 Division Maiduguri, Brig-Gen Abdulkhalifa, told reporters at the weekend in Maiduguri that troops acted on intelligence that some people were supplying Boko Haram in the bushes basic needs through the platform provided by the village markets.
“Based on intelligence report we got that some unpatriotic citizens were making supplies to Boko Haram through village markets, we swung into action, arrested the suspects and confiscated their supplies,” he disclosed.
He said preliminary investigations by the army shows that the suspects were taking the supplies to Boko Haram in the bush.
He said the army conducted a diligent investigation into the suspects and discovered some of them were once arrested for the same crime but were released later. The suspects, he said, were intercepted along Bama Road in central Borno.
The GOC who is also the Commander Sector 1 of Operation Lafiya Dole, assured that investigation on the matter continues even as he urged members of the public to continue to support the military with credible information that could lead to arrest of more Boko Haram suppliers.
Six drivers of the four pick-up vans and two Peugeot 504 Station Wagons suspected to be the Boko Haram suppliers were paradesd. The six vehicles carrying assorted food items, provisions and water were burnt at the outskirts of the city by the army.
The Commander said the destruction of the vehicles would serve as deterrent to others involved in logistical support to Boko Haram in the area.