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Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have attacked a military base in Logomani community, Ngala Local Government Area, Borno State, killing a soldier and setting fire to a police outpost, a primary healthcare centre and two classrooms.
The attack reportedly occurred late Tuesday night.
Confirming the incident in a statement on Thursday, the Acting Military Information Officer of Headquarters Joint Task Force North-East, Operation Hadin Kai, Muhammed Goni, said troops successfully repelled what he described as a coordinated attack by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) fighters.
According to him, the insurgents briefly breached part of the base’s defensive perimeter during the gun battle but were forced to retreat after troops regrouped and launched a counteroffensive, inflicting heavy casualties on the attackers.
Goni said one soldier was killed during the operation, while two gun trucks and some combat equipment were damaged. He added that the military still maintained full control of the base, with reinforcements deployed and clearance operations continuing to strengthen security in the area.
“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.
“Regrettably, one gallant soldier paid the supreme price, while two gun trucks and some combat enablers sustained damage during the engagement,” the statement read.
Residents, however, said the attackers operated with little resistance after the assault on the military base.
Speaking to Punch, one resident, who requested anonymity, said people fled the community during the attack, adding that after confronting the troops, the terrorists entered the school and set two classrooms ablaze before burning the police outpost and the primary healthcare centre.
“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, which they burnt down,” a resident, who pleaded anonymity, said.
A local security source said a joint team comprising the military, police and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force pursued the fleeing terrorists after the attack, although they had already escaped a considerable distance.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of Ngala Local Government Council, Mala Tijjani Ngala, visited Logomani on Wednesday to assess the damage.
During the visit, he inspected the destroyed police outpost, healthcare facility and primary school, and said the findings would be forwarded to the Borno State Government to facilitate immediate intervention.
He also appealed to residents to remain calm and continue cooperating with security agencies.
