After a decade of devastating war with Boko Haram extremists, they are now better armed than ever and have more sophisticated drones than the demorali
After a decade of devastating war with Boko Haram extremists, they are now better armed than ever and have more sophisticated drones than the demoralized Nigerian military according to the New York Times.
They are said to operate with more sophisticated weapons including improved drones while soldiers struggle to keep up with obsolete weapons and ineffectual strategy. The damning report comes as President Muhammadu Buhari maintains that the insurgents have been degraded. But the report quoted various sources as saying the military is demoralised and on the defensive.
“Some soldiers have complained they haven’t had a home leave in three years. Their weapons and vehicles have fallen into disrepair. (But) Boko Haram militants are still roaming the countryside with impunity. Their fighters now have more sophisticated drones than the military and are well-armed after successful raids on military brigades, according to local politicians and security analysts r,” it said.
Although the military often says Boko Haram is not in control of any major territory, the newspaper said it learnt the insurgents control four of the 10 zones in northern Borno state. They are also said to be pulling off “almost-daily” attacks in various parts of the north-east particularly in Borno, while the soldiers are often said to run and take cover.
The report said: “Some soldiers have fled in the face of attacks rather than staying to fight, according to accounts from residents. Abubakar, 13, said he was coming home from school in the town of Gubio in late August when he saw several soldiers racing through the village.
“Run for your lives,” they were screaming as they fled, he said. Boko Haram is coming!”
“The boy, whom The NYTimes is not identifying for security reasons, said he watched as soldiers stripped off their uniforms and changed into everyday clothes. They parked their army truck under a tree, piled into a civilian car and sped away.”
Another woman from Gubio spoke of how four terrified soldiers “joined her family in hiding, and five more hid in her neighbor’s house. She said they kept silent inside for two days as militants ransacked the town and loudly bragged about how easy it was to seize,” the report said of a particular attack in which three people were reportedly killed.
