The Nigeria Police in Borno State on Saturday said only eight of its personnel and three Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) personnel were killed while 13 others sustained injuries as a result of an ambush on Friday by Boko Haram/Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) terrorists.
The Borno State Police Spokesperson, DSP Edet Okon, said in a statement in Maiduguri on Saturday that “on 25th September, 2020 at about 12PM, the security convoy, who were heading to Baga in respect of Government’s effort to relocate indigenes of Baga to their ancestral home, came under heavy gun attack by armed men suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists a few Kilometers from Cross Kauwa.
“The security convoy returned fire and successfully repelled the attack,. In the ensuing gun fight, however, casualties were recorded on both sides. Unfortunately, eight Policemen and three members of the Civilian Joint Task Force paid the supreme price.
“Thirteen other persons sustained various degrees of injuries and were rushed to Hospital for treatment,” he said.
DSP Okon also quoted the Commissioner of Police, CP Bello Makwashi, as assuring that the Nigeria Police Force was determined to carry out its constitutional mandate of protecting lives and property and will not relent in providing the needed security for the good citizens of the State at all times.
Sources had confirmed that 30 persons, including 17 military and Police personnel on the convoy of the Borno State Governor were killed along Monguno/Baga axis in Borno State.
The Police and other security agencies have a history of under-reporting casualties in their operations.
The source, who described the details at the scene of the ambush as “very disturbing,” said that “a total of 12 policemen have been confirmed dead, five soldiers equally lost their lives, 13 civilians including four members of the civilian JTF were killed and the terrorists seized one APC police armoured car, one gun truck belonging to the military and six utility vehicles belonging to the State government. It was repelled accordingly but we suspect ISWAP is behind the attack.”
Another source said the attack took place some kilometers from the Multinational Joint Task Force headquarters in Baga, although the injured persons have been evacuated from the scene to the Monguno General Hospital.
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, who was expected to supervise the arrival of the IDPs at Baga, had left Maiduguri earlier in the day via a military helicopter.