No fewer than 50 Boko Haram militants and three soldiers died in separate battles between the insurgents and security agents between Thursday night and Friday.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the insurgents engaged JTF troops for several hours in a tough battle in terrorist camps located in Sambisa Game Reserve, about 70 kilometres south of the Borno State capital, Maiduguri, where the militants first emerged in 2009.

The militants fired anti-aircraft guns at JTF jets and helicopters and attacked ground troops with missiles and guns.

Saturday PUNCH learnt that the casualty figure was high on the side of the militants as the military carried out simultaneous ground and aerial attacks on the troubled border line with Chad, Niger and Cameroon.

The militants hit a JTF helicopter with anti-aircraft weapons during the operation.

However, the pilot was able to navigate the damaged aircraft to safety with no casualty on the part of the crew members.

Director of Defence Information, Brig.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, told Saturday PUNCH in an electronic mail on Friday that soldiers of the Special Task Force also destroyed some Boko Haram camps located in the forests of Northern and Central Borno.

He declined to confirm the casualty figure.

He said that heavy weapons such as anti-air craft and anti-tank guns were destroyed in the operation.

He said that the operation commenced by the Special Task Force before the troops movement resulted in the destruction of several weapons and logistics in possession of the militants.

He listed the destroyed items to include vehicles, containers, fuel dumps and power generators.

“Advancing troops of Special Task Force have destroyed some terrorists camps sited in the forests of Northern and central Borno.  Heavy weapons including anti-aircraft and anti-tank guns were also destroyed in the process.

“The special operations which preceded troop movement have resulted in the destruction of much of the insurgents’ weapons and logistics such as vehicles, containers, fuel dumps and power generators. The casualties inflicted on the insurgents in the cause of the assault will be verified during mop-up.

“Defence Headquarters is quite satisfied with the progress of the operation and the fighting spirit of participating troops. The Special Task Force has been enjoined to sustain the tempo.

“Meanwhile, border posts have all been manned by security agents to prevent escape or infiltration by insurgents,” the statement said.

British Broadcasting Corporation quoted Olukolade as saying that at least 30 insurgents’ bodies had been identified while soldiers suffered only minor injuries.

“The operation continues, we are injecting even more troops and resources into those areas,” he added.

The aim is to “destroy (Boko Haram) bases, apprehend as many of them as possible and bring them to justice. It is not just Sambisa, every camp is under attack,” Reuters quoted him as saying.

In a separate battle, five suspected Boko Haram members and three soldiers were confirmed dead in a five-hour gun battle in Daura, hometown of a former head of state, Maj-Gen. Mohammadu Buhari (retd.), on Thursday night.

Katsina State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Abdullahi Magaji, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the sect members attacked two police stations and four banks.

Magaji said one of the suspects was killed on Thursday night while the other four were trailed and shot dead on Mani-Dutsi Road around 9.30am on Friday.

General Officer Commanding 1 Division of the Nigerian Army, Kaduna, Maj-Gen. Garba Wahab, told newsmen in Kaduna that three soldiers died and two others were injured in the fight.

He said security agents recovered four AK 47 rifles and some cash stolen from the bank by the gunmen.

The GOC appealed to  residents of Daura, in Katsina State harbouring   suspected terrorists to flush them out in their own interest.

“I’m not bothered about the casualties of the criminals but we have been able to recover four AK 47 rifles from them.

“I called this press conference to fill the gap on the attack that occurred and is still taking place in Daura, Katsina State. We had an incident from 10pm on Thursday evening when criminals attacked three police stations and four banks in Daura town.

“At the end of the operation, even though it is still on, I lost three of my men, two including an officer are wounded. I’m not bothered about the casualties among the criminals but we have been able to recover four AK47 rifles from them.

“Another group of the criminals had a road traffic accident, in which three of them died. They engaged the police and the civil defence in that town and one of the vehicles they were travelling in was seen with a huge amount of money.

“I have instructed my boys to give it to the police to count and keep. It is to be given back to the bank because that’s not my job. But the guns recovered in that vehicle by troops is in the custody of the division.

“The criminals came, they bombed vehicles, they packed money using Improvised Explosives Devices to bomb everywhere. There are so many of them dispersed in Daura town right now and what we want to do is to appeal to the people of Daura that anybody with gunshot wounds should be reported (to security agents) because if they don’t, these are the same people who will turn back and attack the same town.

“What I want to achieve is an instance where people living in the North-West feel secure. We don’t want a situation where we will be viewed like we don’t have respect for traditional rulers. That is why we are appealing to the people around the general area even those in the Emir’s palace, because the possibility of these people entering the palace of the Emir is very high.”

Read more: Punch