Nigeria Troops Intercept 69 Fleeing Boko Haram Family Members With Weapons

Troops of the Nigerian Army on Wednesday intercepted 69 persons suspected to be families of Boko Haram terrorists escaping from Sambisa Forest.

Disclosing this in a statement, the acting Army spokesperson, Col Sani Kukasheka Usman said the suspected persons were intercepted by troops of the 81 battalions and the 251 Task Force Battalion at a checkpoint in Liwanti village along Damboa-Bulabulin road in Borno.

The statement said, “Today, in the early hours troops of 81 Battalion and 251 Task Force Battalion deployed at an Observation Post sighted a group of persons approaching its Check Point at Liwanti village along Damboa-Bulabulin road, Borno State.

“On arrival, they were received and treated humanely based on International Humanitarian Laws and Rules of Engagement.

“On preliminary investigation, it was discovered that the 69 of them were indeed family members of Boko Haram terrorists escaping from Sambisa. Out of that number, 7 of them are men, 18 women, 7 grown up boys and 37 children.

“At the initial state of interrogation, they claimed to have escaped from Boko Haram terrorist captivity at Ngwalimari village in Sambisa forest general area. But further interrogation revealed otherwise.”

Usman further disclosed that the troops recovered the following items, “15 bicycles, 5 Dane Guns and other personal effects from them.”