The 105 soldiers said to be missing are back

Contrary to reports making round that more
than 100 soldiers from the 157 battalion
were missing after an attack by Boko Haram
insurgents at Gudunbali, Borno state recently,
the Chief of Army staff, Lt General Tukur
Buratai, has reacted.

In a report by Vanguard, Buratai denied that
reports that about 105 soldiers prosecuting
the war against the terrorists met their
untimely death when they failed to return in a
bid to annihilate the terrorists in the North
East.
The army chief said: “It is not true that our
soldiers are missing. The soldiers went on a
mission for the Nigerian nation and they have
since returned and joined their Battalions.”
Speaking with confidence, Buratai said that
insinuation is a figment of imagination of the
authors of the story.
In a previous report, Premium Times had
published that more than 100 soldiers from
the 157 battalion are missing following a
daring attack by Boko Haram insurgents at
Gudunbali, Borno state.
One of the sources had claimed that the
militants also seized a T-72 tank as well as
numerous artillery arms from the unit.
The military source had said: “Gudunbali was
attacked this morning and some weapons were
captured from the battalion. Two officers and
105 soldiers are still missing.

“They captured a T-72 tank from the unit and
some artillery weapons were also captured. The
commanding Officer (CO) of the battalion is yet
to be seen but no one has been confirmed dead
yet.”
Meanwhile, another source had also stated
that the tank was found after a continued
battle with the Boko Haram members. The
gunner and tank commander were reportedly
wounded in the process.
The terrorists reportedly took eight vehicles, a
truck loaded with 60,000 rounds of AA
ammunition and three weaponry pieces.
In a related development, troop of the Multi-
National Joint Task Force (MNJTF)
positioned at Baga, Borno state was also
recently attacked.
The onslaught happened in Geringiwa at
about four kilometres to the headquarters of
the force.

According to reports, lack of fire power
hindered the army’s efforts to fully clear the
terrorists from Baga and nearby towns.
The source said the equipment recently given
to the army hierarchy was inadequate and
were not enough to go round to all units
engaged in the war against the insurgency.
In a series of mass killings in Baga in the
beginning of the year more than 2000 people
were killed according to media sources.
However, army said that there were far less
causalities.
Though the army later liberated the town, the
troops positioned in the region have come
under continuous attacks from the Boko
Haram sect.
The attacks on the army came on the heels
of the suicide attacks on Yola and Kano
correspondingly.
The Nigerian army recently has claimed
series of victories over the militants.