Musdapha Ilo, Maiduguri

The Nigerian military has reclaimed Damboa, a town in Borno State which was seized by the Boko Haram terrorists last month.

A member of the local vigilante group, Hassan Mohammed, told newsmen in Maiduguri that the battle to reclaim the town caused heavy casualty on both sides.

However, the army succeeded in chasing out the terrorists who had hoisted a flag in the town as a sign of victory after capturing the town in July and forcing many to flee.

It will be recalled that only on Wednesday, in a brazen onslaught, the insurgents attacked and took over Gwoza, also in Borno State.

The Senator representing Borno South in the National Assembly, Mohammed Ali Ndume, who is also an indigene of Gwoza, told journalists on Thursday that he has been unable to speak with the Emir for the past two days.

According to him, the Emir was abducted by the Boko Haram terrorists during Wednesday’s operation and the military had tried unsuccessfully to rescue him from their hands.

Also recall that the late ruler of the town and the father of the new ruler, Shehu Idrissa Timta was killed by the insurgents on May 30, 2014.