Throwback Times Nigeria has learnt that the dreaded Boko Haram insurgency on Sunday made major breakthrough, captured Marte, headquarters of Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.
Multiple sources confirmed to Daily Trust in Maiduguri. One of the sources said the insurgents, in their multitude stormed the Marte military base, 153 Task Force Battalion, shooting sporadically and, in the process, razed everything.
The insurgents suspected to be ISWA faction, seem not to have
intended harming any civilian, but only to capture the town; so they stormed the military base, taking troops there unawares at about 6pm, much less than an hour to break fast time,” the source confirmed.
“We engaged them in a fierce encounter for about an hour,” a
source who fled the base unscathed to Maiduguri, narrated to Daily Trust on Monday, adding that, “initially, we were about getting victorious over them, but they overpowered us, and
all troops in the burning base were set asunder, with all of us fleeing in all directions in the bush.”
He stressed: “I can tell you that we were about defeating them; but God knows the tactics they later deployed and the defeat turned against us; we all fled; they are in control of the town now.”
According to another fleeing source, “casualty figures cannot be
confirmed on both sides, with all of us fleeing in all directions into the bush, and many of us finding their way to Maiduguri, and majority still roaming in the bush.
“Many of us who are lucky to find our way to Maiduguri or any safe community will elope to their home states across the country to relieve themselves of the trauma for a few weeks before returning to Maiduguri for the convergence of the troops,”
the source, who was on his way to his home state in the Northwest region said.
Though security agencies in Maiduguri have not yet issued any
statement on the incident, we have made efforts to reach the military authorities and will update the story as soon as we get their reactions.
However, it could be recalled that hours after the inauguration of President Mohammedu Buhari; the dreaded Bokoharam insurgents launched disastrous attack and vandalizing lives and properties.
President Buhari's government had always boast that the administration have defeated the dreaded terror group.
