Bomb factory discovered in Yobe

Defence Headquarters yesterday announced
the discovery by troops , of a Boko Haram bomb-
making factory in Buni Yadi , Yobe State.
Also, military sources said the alleged foreign
mercenaries in the North-East are technical
advisers providing training and instructions on the
use of new armaments recently procured by the
Nigerian military.
The Director of Defence Information, Maj-Gen.
Chris Olukolade, said improvised explosive
devices (IEDs) uncovered in Yobe State were
those commonly used by suicide bombers.
“The ongoing cordon and search by troops in Buni
Yadi, Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State
has led to the discovery of a Bomb Making
factory, where improvised explosive devices
(IEDs) used by terrorists were being produced,”he
said in a statement.
“Large quantities of IEDs including those
commonly used by suicide bombers were
recovered from the site.
“The factory, which was located in a fertilizer
company, has also converted some of the
materials therein for production of all types of
IEDs.
“Troops are still evacuating the materials which
include a large quantity of suicide bomber vests
from the facility to their base. It is believed that
the heavy calibre bomb used in blowing up the
bridge between Damaturu and Buni Yadi was
produced in the factory.
“The terrorists were sacked from Buni Yadi after a
military assault that was conducted last
Saturday.
“The troops advance was delayed by the series of
IEDs planted on the highway leading to Buni Yadi.
Four soldiers died from such IEDs in the course of
the operation to clear terrorists from the town.
“This discovery is expected to degrade the
capability of terrorists in the production of
explosives, which they have been using lavishly in
the area until they were dislodged from their
stronghold.”
Also yesterday,military sources said the foreign
mercenaries in the North-East are technical
advisers providing trainings and instructions on
the use of new armaments recently procured by
the Nigerian military.
The military commanders said the stories in major
international media and culled by local
newspapers reporting that Nigeria was deploying
hundreds of mercenaries against Boko Haram
terrorists amounted to “a joke taken too far.”
According to a source: “The foreigners are
technical advisers that are providing training and
instructions on the use of new armaments
recently procured by the Nigerian military in the
war on terror. “
Sources said it was part of the propaganda to
paint Nigerian military as incompetent to deal
with the insurgency by desperately ascribing
recent spate of successes to ‘others’ rather than
the gallant troops’ efforts.
They said only recently, some news agencies
ascribed such successes to Cameroonian,
Nigerien and “battle hardened” Chadian forces but
when it became obvious that the forces of those
countries were mainly fighting along their own
border areas blocking free movement of terrorists,
“it became necessary to look for others” who are
helping Nigerians to fight.
Sources also cited the “particular example of the
maintenance technician, who died recently, that
he was not even a combatant but a professional
in fixing armoured vehicles.
President Goodluck Jonathan said recently on
Voice of America (VOA) that Nigeria was receiving
training assistance to get troops well acquainted
with the recently acquired weaponry.
Jonathan said: “We now have this technical
people who are trainers and technicians, who are
to train our people on how to use them, and
technicians that help the maintenance, at the
same time training our people how to maintain
this equipment.”
Sources recalled with regrets, the several years
that Nigeria wasted while negotiating and
appealing for equipment supply from the Western
allies which were not only rebuffed but prevented
other countries under their direct influence from
selling to Nigeria.
“The fact that we have foreign experts outside the
United States helping to train our troops is not a
secret but it is not fair for them to embark on
this blackmail simply because we got assistance
from other places when they turned us down at a
critical period”, the source stated.
When contacted the Director Defence Information,
Maj-General Chris Olukolade said: “Sorry, I don’t
have anything about that claim. I just know that
Nigerian military and security forces are putting in
all their resources, training and experience
acquired over the years to address the security
challenges.
“Our neighbours operating under the auspices of
the Multinational Joint Task Force are also
backing our efforts from all our borders with
them
“. We also have some offer of training and
intelligence assistance from foreign countries.
Some of these arrangements even predated the
present operations.”
Source: The nation news paper

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