The terrorists arrived suddenly at 4:00 p.m. that ill-fated
Wednesday, November 5, catching the Nigerian soldiers and their commanders
off-guard. As they invaded the headquarters of the 174 Battalion, Abadan Local
Government Area of Borno State, located close to the Nigerian border with
Niger, the Boko Haram insurgents, in hundreds, began to shoot sporadically in
all directions. continue after the cut...
According to witnesses, the terrorists were led into the battalion
headquarters by insurgents bearing a number of Rocket Propelled Grenades (a
shoulder-launched anti-tank weapon) and machine guns mounted on Hilux vans.
Other insurgents, bearing AK-47 rifles, followed behind, shooting and chanting
“Allahu Akbar! Allahu Akbar” (May God be praised).
For minutes, the attackers were repelled by Nigerian soldiers who returned
fire, and at some point, appeared to be gaining the upper hand, our sources
said.
But the troops capitulated shortly after more insurgents advanced on the
camp from several directions, hurling grenades at them and shooting non-stop,
our sources said. The soldiers fled the scene as it became clear they were less
armed and prepared for battle.
Several Nigerian soldiers who took part in the fighting have narrated how
Boko Haram secured yet again another victory over government forces, a defeat
they blamed on their arms and the morale of the fighting force.
Boko Haram has seized many towns and communities in recent months, sacking
security facilities while soldiers flee, in what appears the worst defeat yet
for the Nigerian military since the insurgents launched a bloody campaign in
2009.
The 174 Battalion, which was moved from its Lagos base to the Nigerien
border in Nigeria’s bid to rev up the war against the extremist Boko Haram
sect, had over 300 soldiers. Over a thousand insurgents attacked the troops,
witnesses said.
Before long, military insiders said, the soldiers began to abandon the
battle in droves, throwing away their uniforms and yielding their arms to the
terrorists. The terrorists followed in pursuit as majority of the soldiers and
officers fled across the border into neighbouring Niger where some of them were
hospitalized.
A yet unknown number of soldiers were killed; some declared missing while
several others were injured, our sources said.
After the Nigerian soldiers fled, military officials said, the Boko Haram
insurgents ransacked the camp, looting the battalion armoury and offices.
“They went away with every weapon we had,” one of the soldiers who partook
in the battle told PREMIUM TIMES. “RPGs, armoured tanks, rifles, ammunition, I
mean everything. As we are now, we have nothing. They have gone away with
everything.”
He added, “We were simply overpowered. They were far more in number and the
weapons they carried were far more than what we had. They could have finished
all of us if we hadn’t fled.”
The spokesperson of the Defence Headquarters, Chris Olukolade, did not
answer or return calls seeking comment for this story.
But a top military commander, who asked not to be named because he was not
authorized to speak on the matter, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES.
“I can’t confirm to you that it happened but we have managed to bring back
the soldiers to Nigeria,” the general said. “The matter is being investigated.”
He blamed the incident on cowardice by soldiers of the battalion saying,
“Initially, they were talking of weapons. But the weapons have started
arriving. The problem now is the mentality of our soldiers. A lot of them are
just cowards and should not have been recruited into the Army in the first
place. The fact is if you don’t have the mentality of a soldier, you can’t
fight a battle no matter the sophistication of your arm.”
The November 5 attack on the battalion was the second on the formation by
Boko Haram. On August 4, 2013, the insurgents attacked the battalion, killing
15 soldiers and wounding several others.
Before the November 5 attack, some soldiers of the battalion had told
PREMIUM TIMES their morale was at an all-time low.
“A lot of us have been here for more than two years without being allowed to
see our family,” one soldier said “We were to be here for six months but we
have now been abandoned here for two years. We are missing our families and our
morale is zero. Some of us are even considering going on AWOL (away without
official leave).”
Source: saharareporters
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