Boko Haram’s New Tactics Is Poisoning Water Sources – Army

The Nigerian Army on Wednesday raised the alarm that the extremist Boko Haram sect has now resorted to poisoning water sources as a new war strategy following severe degradation it has suffered in the hands of Nigerian troops.

The Army, in a statement on Wednesday by its Deputy Director of Army Public Relations, Tukur Gusau, said the terrorists were now poisoning streams and wells in villages.

“Information reaching the Theatre Command, OPERATION LAFIYA DOLE indicates that Boko Haram terrorists have now resorted to poisoning water sources like wells and streams in areas they were dislodged by gallant troops or areas threatened by offensive operations”, Mr. Gusau, a colonel, said.

“The latest being the poisoning of the cattle water ponds in KANGALLAM village along MARTE and ABADAM axis in Borno State where a large number of cattle died after drinking water from the ponds.

“Credible information available to the Theatre Command indicates that though no human life was lost as a result of the barbaric act of the terrorists, however, some cattle were killed after drinking water from some poisoned sources”.

The new strategy of the terrorists, Mr. Gusau said, “is no doubt aimed at taking their own pound of flesh on innocent citizens and livestock as a result of the unbearable offensive operations through the combined effort of the Nigerian Army and the Nigerian Air Force to route them out completely from their enclaves and hide-outs all over the North East”.

He, therefore, urged residents to “avoid as much as possible drinking water from unverified sources especially in locations that troops routed out Boko Haram terrorists”.

In another development, troops on Tuesday laid ambush at the crossing point into Sambisa Forest at Iza, engaging the terrorists who succumbed to the superior firepower of troops and fled.
The Army Acting Director of Public Relations, Sani Usman, disclosed this in a separate statement on Wednesday.

According to Mr. Usman, a colonel, “At the end of the encounter two of the terrorists were killed, some abandoned their supplies and fled, one general purpose machine gun and one AK47 rifle were captured”.

Other items Mr. Usman said the insurgents abandoned were three bicycles, and provisions, including maggi, potash, peanut and onions.