The Nigerian military said on Sunday that it had discovered large caches of arms abandoned by fleeing members of the Boko Haram insurgency group in Baga.

By Friday, Nigerian troops had successfully driven out the Boko Haram fighters and retaken Baga, a town in Borno State which was captured by the insurgents in January.

The arms abandoned by fleeing terrorists were discovered in some houses and surroundings area by Nigerian soldiers engaged cordon and search operations in Baga.

These disclosures were made on Sunday by the Defence spokesman, Chris Olukolade, a Major General

“Troops engaged in cordon and search in Baga continue to discover more arms of various background and shapes abandoned in some houses and the surrounding by fleeing terrorists. Heaps of weapons most of which were strange looking or destroyed are still being gathered. Many abandoned or destroyed motorcycles have also been discovered,” Olukolade said in the statement.

The Defence spokesman said further that a number of people who claimed to be residents of Baga have been taken in and are being interrogated to ascertain whether they were, indeed, residents of disguised Boko Haram insurgents.

Some of those being questioned, he said, are women.

“A number of individuals who claimed to be residents are also being interrogated in order to ascertain their identity and motive. The group consisting mostly women continued to hail and cheer the troops as they conduct thorough search in the area,” the military explained.

The military had warmed in the past that Boko Haram fighter usually merge with the local population when they come under attack in a bid to evade detection and arrest, and had asked residents of such places to be vigilant.

Olukolade said that one soldier was stabbed while another was shot during the cordon and search operation.

He said that the operation was still going on in and around Baga to ensure that the town is rid of all insurgents.