An Improvised Explosive Device, planted by Boko Haram terrorists, went off on Thursday around Golgore River in the Damboa Local Governemnt Area of Borno State, killing an army captain and a lieutenant.
One of our correspondents gathered that the two deceased officers, whose names had yet to be revealed as of press time, were reportedly attached to 27 Task Force Brigade.
They were said to be part of troops deployed in the Talala area for a counter-attack on the insurgents when the explosion occurred.
One army captain and medical doctor, Victor Ulasi, were killed by a Boko Haram surprise attack on troops in the Buni Yadi area of Yobe State on Sunday.
Ulasi, a father of three, and three soldiers were reported to have been shot dead by insurgents in a gun battle, which also led to the death of several of the terrorists.
It was learnt on Thursday that the IED went off around 11am as the troops cleared the Boko Haram remnants in the Talala area.
A source said, “The place of explosion is around the Golgore River in Damboa. We were not ambushed. It was an explosion, and it killed the two and injured a few soldiers.
“Eight officers and 144 soldiers attached to the Nigerian Army, 27 Brigade Task Force, were deployed in the area to clear the Boko Haram remnants until the explosion occurred.”
One of our correspondents learnt that the families of the two deceased officers had yet to be contacted by the military authorities.
The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Sani Usman, could not be reached for comments on the incident on Thursday.
Meanwhile, two people, suspected to be members of Boko Haram, were arrested in Minna by the Niger State Command of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps on Thursday
The suspects are 20-year-old Usman Al-Amin and Sanusi Ibrahim Bala.
According to a statement by the Command’s Public Relations Officer, Ibrahim Yahaya, they were arrested at different locations within the state capital.
The duo were said to have been under surveillance for sometimes by the undercover officers of the corps before their eventual arrest.
The statement said one of the suspects, Al-Amin, always pretended to be insane in the day time but reverted to his normal self at night, when he would make several calls to his members elsewhere.
In a related development, the Nigerian Air Force, on Thursday, said one of the challenges facing troops in the North-East operation was that Boko Haram members deliberately used their captives, including the Chibok girls, as shields to evade air strikes.
The NAF added that such strategy frustrated air operations, saying the troops therefore applied more caution in launching attacks on suspected Boko Haram camps.
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