The Nigerian Army has revealed another breakthrough recorded during an operation in which a military tank and other weapons were recovered from the Boko Haram terrorists in Borno State.
A total of 84 persons held hostage by the insurgents at Camp Zairo were rescued by the troops and have been handed over to the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA).
The Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Rogers Nicholas, disclosed this on Saturday to reporters in the state.
According to him, some of the women rescued were found to be pregnant while the children among them looked malnourished.
The 84 persons were flown by the Air Component of the Operation Lafiya Dole to Maiduguri, the state capital after being freed from the heavily guarded camp.
Major General Rogers Nicholas, who handed the victims over to SEMA, said most of them are tasting freedom for the first time in about three years after their abduction.
On Tuesday, troops of Operation Lafiya Dole recovered a battle tank from the insurgents during the ongoing clearance operations nicknamed Operation DEEP PUNCH II
Spokesman for the Army Major General Sani Usman who disclosed the feat said the soldiers had contact with the terrorists and engagement ensued.
“During the encounter, they (troops) were able to recover an Eagle Main Battle Tank (EMBT), one VBL, one AK-47 rifle, a police teargas rifle, religious books, many gas cylinders and bags of fertiliser, ostensibly for improvised explosives devices making,” Usman has said in a statement on Wednesday.
The gallant soldiers also destroyed many items which included seven gun trucks, four trucks, five Toyota Hilux vehicles, and one Prado jeep.
Others are one Golf car, four Mitsubishi pickup vans, one Hiace bus, several motorcycles, as well as makeshift shelters and household items among others.
