VICE PRESIDENT MOHAMMED NAMADI SAMBO WITH GOVERNA KWANKWASO OF KANO STATE COMMISSERATING WITH THE VICTIM OF LAST WEEK FRIDAY TERROR ATTACK AT KANO GENERAL HOSPITAL IN KANO ON MONDAY 1/ 12 / 14

SAFETY OF NIGERIANS, MY PRIORITY — JONATHAN

By Kingsley Omonobi & Ndahi Marama

MAIDUGURI—A female suicide bomber, who was arrested by the vigilante group also known as civilian JTF, revealed, yesterday, that 50 other female suicide bombers have been let loose in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital with a mandate to kill 100,000 persons before the end of December 2014.

The arrested female bomber disclosed this on a day the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Kenneth Minimah vowed that Boko Haram will be defeated. This came as former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon charged the army chief and his commanders to urgently correct the negative perception about Nigerian soldiers abandoning their weapons and running away in the midst of the fight against Boko Haram terrorists.

The female suicide bomber was said to have been arrested by civilian JTF at the entrance gate of the University of Maiduguri, while another was apprehended at the busy Post Office area of the metropolis, yesterday.

VICE PRESIDENT MOHAMMED NAMADI SAMBO WITH GOVERNA KWANKWASO OF KANO STATE COMMISSERATING WITH THE VICTIM OF LAST WEEK FRIDAY TERROR ATTACK AT KANO GENERAL HOSPITAL IN KANO ON MONDAY 1/ 12 / 14

The arrest came barely a day after two female suicide bombers blew themselves up in Maiduguri Market on Monday, killing 22 civilians and injuring 48 others.

Upon their arrest, one of the suicide bombers was said to have confessed before being handed over to security operatives that 50 female members of the sect have been initiated and are ready to wreak havoc in Maiduguri and environs before the end of 2014 .

Following this disclosure, sources said, tension is now very high in the Borno capital as students of the University of Maiduguri had to undergo serious check by security operatives before being allowed into the campus.

It was gathered that already, students have been banned from entering the campus with their vehicles as only lecturers enjoyed this privilege after rigorous checks and identification.

The civilian JTF have also been put on red alert. It would be recalled that, already four female suicide bombers have caused the deaths of over 100 people in two incidents in Maiduguri recently.

TROOPS REPEL ATTACKS IN KONDUGA

Meanwhile, attempts to launch fresh attacks in Konduga and Maiduguri have been repelled by troops of the 7 Division in Konduga Local Government area of the state.

Konduga is south east and about 40 kilometres drive from Maiduguri, the state capital. Recently troops in the area with support from civilian JTF repelled insurgents, killing more than 200.

Sources said the insurgents numbering more than 300 armed with sophisticated weapons using Hilux vehicles and motorcycles had an encounter with troops while attempting to overrun Konduga and Maiduguri towns. The insurgents were, however, overwhelmed as the troops killed unspecified number of them before they abandoned some of their vehicles, arms and ammunition.

Another source said: “The attacks on insurgents in Konduga by the military on Monday at about 9 p.m left more than 200 terrorists dead”.

A top military source confirmed the killing of hundreds of insurgents in the failed attack on Konduga town.

He said: “Our troops repelled attack by Boko Haram sect on Konduga Council Area where the insurgents suffered casualties with none of our troops killed or injured”.

SAVE IMAGE OF ARMY— GOWON

In a related development, former Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon has charged the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Kenneth Minimah and his commanders to urgently correct the negative perception about Nigerian soldiers abandoning their weapons and running away in the midst of the fight against terrorists.

Gowon gave the charge just as the Chief of Army Staff, declared that the war against terrorism will be won. “We would be undertaking a review of ongoing operations in the North-East with a view to bringing a speedy end to the reign of terror unleashed on innocent Nigerians by these elements”, the Army Chief said.

Speaking at the opening ceremony of the 2014 Chief of Army Staff Conference in Uyo, Gowon, who was represented by former Lagos State Administrator, General Buba Marwa, said: “Ordinary Nigerians in high and low places have expressed reservations that they are not happy that their military who ought to defend our territorial integrity and protect people from internal and external threat appear to be losing ground to Boko Haram insurgents.

“But from the pictures of Boko Haram seen, apart from being mounted on Toyota vehicles, they look rag-tag — certainly no threat to well-trained and better soldiers of the Nigerian Army. The COAS and commanders need to urgently correct this negative perception about our soldiers who have in the past, a record of professionalism and competence.”