Troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have intensified the ongoing offensive on Boko Haram enclaves in the islands around the Lake Chad region, Deputy Director, Public Relations of the Theatre Command, Colomel Onyema Nwachukwu said on Sunday.

“The offensive, which commenced about two weeks ago with coordinated air and artillery bombardments on Boko Haram enclaves while ground troops moved in to clear the areas, is yielding positive results, as several insurgents have been killed and 167 insurgents, who were fleeing from the offensive, have been captured by troops,” Nwachukwu said in a statement issued in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

Giving further details, he said: “Troops also extricated and profiled 67 women and 173 children, who revealed during profiling exercise that they were family members of insurgents who fled following troops’ offensive.

“Arrangement is ongoing to hand them over to IDP (Internally Displace Persons) camp authorities after preliminary investigations are concluded.

“Meanwhile, in the past two months, troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have sustained ongoing precursor operations and have conducted long range fighting patrols and ambushes seeking out and clearing Boko Haram terrorists 'hideouts in Saada and Juwei in the fringes of northern Borno. During the operations, troops intercepted and arrested 53 fleeing insurgents who have been profiled and are currently helping with investigations.

“Fifteen insurgents have also willingly abandoned the insurgent group, describing it as a futile struggle and have surrendered to troops of Operation Lafiya Dole within the period.

“Our heartfelt sympathy and condolences go to families and relations of troops as well as civilians who paid the supreme price in the encounters and callous suicide bomb and Improvised Explosive Device attacks by the terrorists.

“While troops continue relentlessly in the ongoing offensive to decisively rid the North East hinterlands of insurgents, members of the public are implored to be more security conscious and vigilant in their homes, communities, places of worship , markets and other places of business to identify strange persons as well as any suspicious activity and promptly report same to security agencies. They are also urged to remember to ‘Say something, if you see something.’”

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