Heavily armed Boko Haram insurgents Wednesday, August 20, invaded a well-known Nigerian Police training college in Gwoza, Borno State, on tanks killing and injuring trainees.
According to SaharaReporters, police sources said the militants, who numbered several hundred, stormed the police college with five armored tanks they had earlier seized from Nigerian soldiers who had had made several unsuccessful attempts to dislodge the sect from Gwoza over the last two weeks.
As the sources report, the college had five units of police officers in training at the time of today’s attack.
It was gathered that each unit had 59 trainees and a unit commander. At the college there were two mobile police (MOPOL) units from Nasarawa and Gombe States and a mobile police unit from Abuja. Two other units from Zamfara State were also at the college during the attack.
The sources disclosed that numerous trainees were killed or seriously injured by the militants who carried out the assault. “Those who survived the attack had to run to the mountains nearby,” said the source, adding that ‘some of the trainees managed to escape to Adamawa State’.
The surging militants blew up an armored tank stationed at the gate of the training camp before gaining entrance into the school and wreaking havoc, according to the sources.
Boko Haram had seized much of Gwoza town two weeks ago. They hoisted the sect’s flag in the town and appointed an Emir to administer the strategic northeastern township, after the town’s traditional ruler escaped with other refugees.
The training center was one of the few government facilities that remained out of the control of the sect, until today’s massive offensive by the insurgents.
Since the Islamist group’s take over of much of the town, the Nigerian army had launched a series of operations to liberate the town. But each of the military actions had been repelled by the militants in counter-attacks that proved deadly both for Nigerian troops and insurgents, according to a military source.
Recent efforts by the military to mobilize troops in a determined battle to wrest Gwoza from Boko Haram have been hampered by protests by soldiers and their spouses.
Many soldiers were refusing orders from their superiors go on missions against Boko Haram fighters as soldiers don’t have such highly sophisticated weapons as the militants
As the sources report, the college had five units of police officers in training at the time of today’s attack.
It was gathered that each unit had 59 trainees and a unit commander. At the college there were two mobile police (MOPOL) units from Nasarawa and Gombe States and a mobile police unit from Abuja. Two other units from Zamfara State were also at the college during the attack.
The sources disclosed that numerous trainees were killed or seriously injured by the militants who carried out the assault. “Those who survived the attack had to run to the mountains nearby,” said the source, adding that ‘some of the trainees managed to escape to Adamawa State’.
The surging militants blew up an armored tank stationed at the gate of the training camp before gaining entrance into the school and wreaking havoc, according to the sources.
Boko Haram had seized much of Gwoza town two weeks ago. They hoisted the sect’s flag in the town and appointed an Emir to administer the strategic northeastern township, after the town’s traditional ruler escaped with other refugees.
The training center was one of the few government facilities that remained out of the control of the sect, until today’s massive offensive by the insurgents.
Since the Islamist group’s take over of much of the town, the Nigerian army had launched a series of operations to liberate the town. But each of the military actions had been repelled by the militants in counter-attacks that proved deadly both for Nigerian troops and insurgents, according to a military source.
Recent efforts by the military to mobilize troops in a determined battle to wrest Gwoza from Boko Haram have been hampered by protests by soldiers and their spouses.
Many soldiers were refusing orders from their superiors go on missions against Boko Haram fighters as soldiers don’t have such highly sophisticated weapons as the militants
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