Mark Itsibor
Chris Olukolade, Major General and spokesman for the Nigerian Army has debunked claims of a mutiny by some officers of the 7th Division of the Nigerian Army.
Olukolade said,“The fact of the matter is that troops on patrol around Chibok were ambushed by insurgents yesterday. Troops engaged the insurgents in a fierce combat and extricated themselves from the ambush killing several insurgents.”
Hesaid at least four soldiers lost their lives during the ambush. “On evacuation of the remains of the fallen troops, the General Officer Commanding addressed the troops who registered their anger about the incident by firing into the air,” Olukolade said.
The 7 Division was recently formed as part of the military efforts to fight the Boko Haram insurgents;and it is located in Maiduguri, the capital of the troubled Borno State.
Olukolade also revealed “the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army is to institute a military board of inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the conduct of soldiers who fired shots in the air.”
Contrary to the explanation of the Army spokesman, reports say the soldiers were piquedby the death of 12 of their colleagues in a Boko Haram ambush, yesterday. After the incident, they were said to have opened fire, in anger, on the vehicle of Ahmadu Mohammed, General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division of the Nigerian Army.
The soldiers were said to have been angry with their commander who they said made them drive at night and susceptible to attack by the insurgents.
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