TheCable

Members of the Boko Haram insurgent group are reportedly holding a soldier hostage along the Lake Chad Basin.

Ahmad Salkida, a journalist known to have access to the leadership of the sect, disclosed this, quoting a source.

Lake Chad falls in the boundaries of four African countries — Niger, Chad, Cameroon and Nigeria — and is one of the major strongholds of the sect.

Salkida also quoted the source as saying contrary to claims by the army, the insurgents have not been defeated.

The journalist added that although the identity of the soldier in question is yet to be ascertained, soldiers are said to be burning down inhabited villages in the area.

“A source that is conversant with the ongoing war in the #LakeChad island villages, #ISWAP (Boko Haram)’s stronghold claimed; ‘it is not true the group suffered defeat,’ insisting they have repelled attacks in the forest of metele and have abducted and now holding one soldier captive,” he wrote on Twitter.

“If this is confirmed, it’s the first time #ISWAP will take a soldier captive.

“The source did not reveal the identity of this soldier, but claimed ‘soldiers are burning down inhabitated villages,’ confirming military statements of intense attacks tagged, Operation Deep Punch.”

https://twitter.com/ContactSalkida/status/951488984009596930

TheCable was not able to independently verify the claims as efforts to reach the army was unsuccessful.

Sani Usman, army spokesman, neither answered calls nor replied a text messages sent to his telephone.