This is what premium times is reporting about the Monguna attack. It's kind of strange though...The Nigerian military received reliable
intelligence report indicating that the Boko
Haram sect would launch a massive attack on
Monguno, yet troops were taken by surprise
when the insurgents struck early Sunday,
suggesting the 5 Brigade stationed in the area
failed to prepare adequately for the group’s
onslaught.
Reliable military sources told PREMIUM TIMES
that the Brigade received report indicating the
insurgents would attack between January 22 and
25.
The report, our sources said, was read to officers
and men of the Brigade on the night of January
22, with a stern warning that everyone should
remain on high alert.
Despite warning troops to remain on alert, the
leadership of the formation failed to take the
necessary steps and make the right deployment
of men and equipment to check the imminent
attack, PREMIUM TIMES was told.
When the terrorists arrived on Sunday, the
troops were therefore taken by surprise.
Military insiders said the insurgents arrived at
about 2 am on Sunday, parking their Hilux vans
deep into the bush, with their headlights on.
Soldiers of the Brigade, who saw the unusual
lights, began to shoot in the direction of the vans
without knowing that the insurgents had left the
vans and advanced close to the Brigade
headquarters.
Suddenly, the insurgents began to shoot
sporadically. The troop of the Brigade, including
those of the Multinational Joint Task Force
[MJTF], who were camped at a school inside the
barracks after they were dislodged from Baga,
engaged the terrorists in a long exchange of
gunfire.
The biggest fighting tank owned by the Brigade,
known as Shika, killed several insurgents, and
wounded several others.
It was such a long battle that the equipment, which provided
cover for ground troops, suddenly ran out of ammunition and
began to withdraw.
As it withdrew, the rifle men behind also retreated, as the
insurgents followed in pursuit. In the process, the commander of
the Brigade, a Brigadier General Yekini, and a few other soldiers
were wounded. It is not clear the number of soldiers and
insurgents killed in the attack.
“We could have overpowered the insurgents, but there was no
enough ammunition,” an officer, who participated in the battle,
told PREMIUM TIMES.
But when contacted Monday, the Director of Defence
Information, Chris Olukolade, a Major General, dismissed the
suggestion that the military did not prepare enough for the attack
despite knowing days before that it was coming.
“Because it is an area that is prone to attacks, our officers and
men are always on the alert,” Mr. Olukolade said.
He declined further comments.
Meanwhile, the 5 Brigade commander, who was injured in the
attack, has been removed from his post and replaced with
another officer who addressed the dislodged soldiers on Monday
morning asking them to remain calm and focused on the task
ahead.
It is not known whether his removal has to do with the injury he
suffered in battle or his alleged failure to prepare his Brigade
well to fend off the onslaught.
Nigerian soldiers in Borno state had on Sunday faced three
separate and daring raids by the extremist Boko Haram sect on
three major towns, successfully repelling two of them, and losing
the battle for one.
Mr. Olukolade said the daring attacks on Maiduguri and
neighbouring Konduga by insurgents were successfully repelled
by soldiers while officers and men of 5 Brigade lost the battle for
Monguno.
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