Twelve soldiers and seven policemen were killed in recent attacks in Borno by suspected members of the Boko Haram, the commander of the military Joint Task Force (JTF), Major General Jah Ewansiah, has said.
The military had last week denied that up to a dozen officers were killed in the Malumfatori attack on soldiers by the Boko Haram on August 4. The JTF spokesman had claimed in a statement that only two soldiers and a policeman were killed in the attack as well as another attack in Bama.
The JTF, like the Nigerian military, is notorious for reducing or denying casualty of soldiers, security officials, and civilians in operations against insurgents and criminals.
Mr. Ewansiah, however, revealed the casualty to the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, when the latter visited the JTF headquarters on Friday to condole with the Task Force over the ugly occurrence.
‘We have lost 12 soldiers in Malumfatori and seven policemen in Bama attacks. But despite that the JTF is resolute and committed to ensure that peace is completely restored in Borno state, even if it means losing their lives,” Mr. Ewansiah said.
The governor donated N1 million to the families of each of the deceased soldiers and policemen.
The JTF had earlier claimed that it killed 32 Boko Haram members in the two attacks.