TheCable

Defence headquarters has confirmed a terror attack near Maiduguri, Borno State, and clarified earlier reports on the incident.

Defence spokesman, Chris Olukolade, a major general, said in a statement that “on receiving distress call, troops at about 2am this morning launched a counter attack using mainly mortar shells on a group of terrorists who had attacked and killed four persons in Margimari village and other settlements in the outskirts of Maiduguri”.

He said “there was no fighting or attack around the University or any barrack in Maiduguri”.

A Chadian, Usman Mecheka, allegedly operating with the terrorists group around Lake Chad has been taken into custody by the Multi National Joint Task Force, he said.

“He was apprehended by the Task Force while trying to extract a ransom from herdsmen and farmers in the area, after an earlier attack on the community,” he disclosed.

In Tanabu community in Barkin Ladi KGA of Plateau State, he said troops of the Special Task Force have successfully repelled an attack by a gang of cattle rustlers who had invaded the community after a shootout.

“The troops had the encounter when they responded to a distress call from herdsmen in the area, leaving one of the cattle rustlers dead while others fled when they were overpowered by the troops,” he said.