Why Boko Haram attacked Maiduguri army barracks – Defence Headquarters

These morning terrorist attack on Fori neighbourhood, near the famous Giwa Barracks, in Maiduguri has been repelled, according to military authorities who also claimed that the counter-attack resulted in “heavy human casualty on the terrorists.”

Major General Chris Olukolade, Director, Defence Information, said in a press statement Friday afternoon from Abuja that the “pockets of terrorists” were seeking to sack the army detention facility in Maiduguri with intention to free their colleagues, “in a move to boost their depleted stock of fighters.”

Premium Times reporter, Ola Audu, who broke story of the attack Friday morning spoke of heavy aerial bombardment from the air force an hour after the Boko Haram terrorists had encircled the neighbourhood.

Some of the victims included those the Boko Haram terrorists came to rescue, according to General Olukolade, who added that “Many of the terrorists and their weapons have been captured [and that] four soldiers were wounded and are being treated [while] hot pursuits by land and air operations are ongoing along with cordon and search of surrounding localities.”

The defence spokesman suggested that this “terrorists attempt is in response to the intensity of attacks on their strongholds in camps at Talala, Monguzum, Sambisa forests, Gwoza, Mandara mountains as well as the general area of Lake Chad.”

He said the “camps have been destroyed and many insurgents killed.”