Army Chief Denies Report of 40 Soldiers Killed in Ngoshe Attack

The Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shuaibu, has denied reports that an officer and thirty-nine soldiers were killed during Boko Haram attacks in Ngoshe, Borno State. He described the report as false and based on unverified sources.

The Army Chief made the clarification during a visit to Maiduguri, where he assessed damage to lives, vehicles and equipment at the Maimalari Cantonment. He said a review at the Theatre Command and Control Centre confirmed that only a few soldiers and their commanding officer lost their lives while defending the border community. He did not state the exact number of soldiers lost.

Shuaibu explained that Boko Haram fighters who had earlier been dislodged from the Sambisa Forest carried out coordinated attacks on Ngoshe, Konduga, Mainok and Jakana. He said troops responded quickly and fought to repel the attackers and protect the affected communities.

Also Read: Nigeria Lost $3.3bn to Oil Theft and Sabotage – NEITI(Opens in a new browser tab)

According to him, more than fifty terrorists were killed during the operations. The Army Chief added that additional troops and equipment have been deployed to strengthen ongoing operations against the insurgents.