Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have attacked Logomani community in Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State, burning down a police outpost, a primary healthcare centre and two classrooms, The PUNCH learnt.
The terrorists reportedly carried out the attack late Tuesday night shortly after launching an assault on the Forward Operating Base (FOB) in Logomani, where a soldier was killed during an encounter with the insurgents.
Residents said the attackers, who stormed the community after engaging troops in a gun battle, dispersed residents through sporadic shootings before setting public facilities ablaze.
The Acting Military Information Officer, Headquarters Joint Task Force North East Operation Hadin Kai, Captain Muhammed Goni, confirmed the attack in a statement on Thursday, saying troops successfully repelled the assault on the military base.
According to him, the attack was carried out by ISWAP terrorists, adding that troops of Operation Hadin Kai deployed at FOB Logomani under Sector One contained the assault.
The statement partly read, “Troops of Operation HADIN KAI deployed at Forward Operating Base (FOB) Logomani in Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State under Sector One successfully contained a coordinated attack by ISWAP terrorists.
“Although, the insurgents briefly exploited a section of the base’s defensive perimeter during the intense firefight, the troops rapidly regrouped, mounted a determined counter-offensive and decisively expelled the attackers, inflicting significant casualties and forcing the surviving terrorists to flee with varying degrees of gunshot wounds.”
Goni added that one soldier paid the supreme price during the encounter, while two gun trucks and some combat equipment were damaged.
“The situation at FOB Logomani remains firmly under the control of Operation HADIN KAI troops, with reinforcements deployed, exploitation operations ongoing and additional measures being implemented to further strengthen the defensive resilience of the location,” he added.
However, residents who spoke with The PUNCH described the attack as coordinated, claiming that the insurgents operated with limited resistance before attacking civilian facilities.
One resident, who pleaded anonymity, said, “We all left the community during the attack. The terrorists were very sophisticated. After they overpowered the army, they entered the school and burnt down two classrooms. They also attacked a police outpost and a hospital where they set them ablaze.”
A local security source told The PUNCH that a combined team of security operatives comprising the police, military and Civilian Joint Task Force pursued the attackers after they withdrew from the community.
“They had fled for a distance,” the source said.
Efforts to get a reaction from the Borno State Police Command spokesperson, ASP Nahum Daso, were unsuccessful as calls and messages were not responded to.
Meanwhile, the Executive Chairman of Ngala Local Government Council, Mala Tijjani Ngala, on Wednesday visited Logomani for an on-the-spot assessment of the damage caused by the attack.
The council chairman inspected the affected police outpost, primary healthcare centre and school facilities, saying the findings would be forwarded to the Borno State Government for urgent intervention.
He urged residents to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies as efforts continued to restore normalcy in the community.
