Kano- At least 69 people are known to have died in a Boko Haram ambush of an oil exploration team in northeast Nigeria, as three men kidnapped by the jihadists made a video appeal.

Experts said the attack - Boko Haram's bloodiest this year - underscored the persistent threat it poses, despite government claims the group is a spent force.

"So far the death toll stands at 69," said an aid agency worker involved in the recovery of bodies after the attack in the Magumeri area of Borno state on Tuesday.

The worker, who asked not to be identified because he was not authorised to speak to the media, said 19 soldiers, 33 civilian militia and 17 civilians were killed.

"The last body was recovered Friday in the bush in the Geidam district of neighbouring Yobe state, which is several kilometres from the scene of the ambush," he told AFP.

"It shows the victim, who had gunshot wounds, died after trekking a long distance. There could be more such victims in the bush."

Another source with knowledge of the rescue operation gave the death toll as "70 or more" and also said it was unclear whether all the victims had been accounted for.

The attack hit Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation staff.

"It's a confirmation of the boldness and reassurance that Boko Haram has managed to gain over the last six weeks," said Yan St-Pierre, from the Modern Security Consulting Group.

"They have been attacking more and more military outposts and more military convoys. For them to go after NNPC personnel just shows they don't fear any military reprisal.

"Basically they have managed to gain enough resources, enough material, to plan ambushes targeted towards high value targets."

Video appeal

News of the rising death toll came after Boko Haram published a four-minute video in which three men identified themselves as being from the University of Maiduguri.



The trio were part of a NNPC team on a mission to find commercial quantities of oil in the Lake Chad basin.

"I want to call on the acting president professor Yemi Osinbajo to come to our rescue to meet the demand," one of the men says in the video, which he said was shot on Friday.

He attributed the attack to the Islamic State-supported Boko Haram faction headed by Abu Mus'ab Al-Barnawi, which has vowed to hit military and government targets.

"They have promised us that if their demands are met they will release us immediately to go back to the work we were caught doing," the man added.

There was no indication of where the video was shot but Magumeri is some 50km by road northwest of Maiduguri.

University of Maiduguri spokesperdson Danjuma Gambo confirmed the identities of the three kidnapped men in the video.

"They are our staff but one more is yet to be accounted for," he told AFP.

Five members of staff from the university - two lecturers, two technologists and a driver - were killed, vice-chancellor Ibrahim Njodi said on Friday.

He told reporters the university had been hesitant to send staff with the NNPC team but had been assured about security.

Nigeria is searching for oil in the northeast to try to reduce its reliance on supplies from the Niger delta, where militant attacks have slashed production.

Suicide bombings

Kidnapping has been a feature of the Boko Haram insurgency, which has killed at least 20 000, displaced more than 2.6 million and left millions of others on the brink of famine.

Thousands of women and girls have been seized, to be married off to fighters, used as sex slaves or suicide bombers, while men and boys have been made to fight in the Islamist ranks.

The al-Barnawi faction differs from fighters loyal to Boko Haram's long-time leader Abubakar Shekau in that it disagrees with the indiscriminate targeting of civilians.

On Friday, two suicide bombers struck a camp for displaced people in Dikwa, 90km east of Maiduguri, killing five.

Civilian militia member Babakura Kolo said the men disguised themselves as traders wanting to buy grain.

In Bama, 70km southeast of Maiduguri, three young female suicide bombers were killed when their explosives detonated prematurely on Thursday, he added.

"A fourth bomber, an 11-year-old girl, was too frightened to pull the trigger. She succeeded in removing her vest and sneaked into town. She was found and taken into custody," he said.</s>The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened an indefinite nationwide strike if its members that were abducted by Boko Haram terrorists are not rescued.

This comes six days after some members of the University of Maiduguri chapter of the union were abducted in an ambush by the terrorists in Borno.

The UNIMAID lecturers were part of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) exploration team in the Lake Chad Basin.were not rescued and called for increased security presence around the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID).

At least 48 people – including five lecturers of UNIMAID, about 15 soldiers, 11 members of the civilian JTF and NNPC workers – were part of the exploration team attacked by Boko Haram insurgents on Tuesday last week.

The oil workers and the security operatives were on their way to Barno Yasu in the Magumeri Local Government Area of Borno State.

On Saturday, the Nigerian Army disclosed that it had recovered the bodies of 21 people who were part of the ambushed exploration team.The army confirmed the figures on

The Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Sani Usman, said an earlier statement claiming that the exploration workers had been rescued was “most regrettable”.

The terrorists had on Friday released a video showing three of those</s>An ambush attack by Boko Haram terrorists in Nigeria against an oil exploration team has killed more than 50 people, according to sources, who said the death toll could rise further.

The terrorists attacked a convoy of specialists from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in the Magumeri area of northeastern state of Borno on Tuesday, sources said on Friday.

Initial reports from the army, which suggested that the ambush had been an abduction attempt, put the number of casualties at a mere ten. Reports later claimed that the abducted geologists and surveyors, who worked at the University of Maiduguri, had been rescued.

But details gradually emerged showing that the attack had been an ambush that killed many more people than originally reported.

“The death toll keeps mounting,” one source involved in dealing with the aftermath of the attack told AFP. “Now we have more than 50 and more bodies are coming in.”

“It’s clear that the attack wasn’t for abduction. They (Boko Haram) attacked just to kill,” he added.

Several others still remain missing, the sources said.

Meanwhile, an aid agency worker in the area said some of the many victims killed in the attack had been burned to death.

“Eleven of them were badly burned in the attack. They were burned alive in their vehicle, which was stuck in a trench,” he added. “We buried them here because they couldn’t be taken to Maiduguri.”

“Many more could be recovered because search and rescue teams are all over the place,” the worker said.

Eight years of militancy by Boko Haram has so far killed more than 20,000 people.

Following the Tuesdays attack, the Federal Government said on Thursday that it would once again halt oil exploration in the Lake Chad Basin in the northeast, where Nigeria has common borders with Cameroon, Chad, and Niger.

Both Chad and Niger are exploiting reserves on their side of the freshwater lake, but activities on the Nigerian side had to stop exploration on their side in November 2014 due to Boko Haram violence. In November last year, the Nigerian military permitted the resumption of exploration, according to Nigeria’s junior oil minister Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu.

He described the recent attack as “unfortunate.”</s>The death toll from the July 25 ambush of oil workers and staff members of the University of Maiduguri in Borno by Boko Haram has risen with the recovery of more bodies.

According to the Nigerian Army, 21 more bodies of those on the team that was ambushed by the terrorists had been recovered with some persons still missing.

“So far the search and rescue team has recovered additional bodies of 5 soldiers, 11 Civilian JTF and 5 members of the exploration team,” the Director, Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Sani Usman, said in a statement.

He added that six members of the exploration team out of 12 that went out are still missing, while one of the NNPC staff returned to base alive.

Describing the ambush as “as unfortunate and highly regrettable”, Usman said his initial statement that all the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation workers abducted in the ambush had been rescued was wrong.

The statement comes a day after Boko Haram released a video in which three of those abducted during the ambush were shown appealing to the Federal Government to ensure their rescue.

According to the statement, the pursuit team also recovered two of army’s gun trucks and an additional Toyota Buffalo Gun truck from the insurgents.

“In addition, the team also made the following recoveries; four rocket-propelled grenade bombs, four rocket propelled grenade chargers, six AK-47 rifles, one anti-aircraft gun, one general purpose machine gun, one anti-aircraft gun barrel, one rocket-propelled grenade tube, four Dane guns, eight tyres and two Tyre Rims,” it added.

Other items recovered include one pumping machine, two tyre jacks, one super battery, five reflective jackets, three Toyota Hilux vans, four Jerry cans filled with PMS, one Motorola Radio, one Geographical Positioning System (GPS), 21 empty Jerry cans, two shovels and three food coolers.

The troops also recovered 122 rounds of PKM ammunition, 213 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, 1255 Anti-Aircraft Guns ammunition, 4 boxes of API 12.7mm ammunition, 1 AK-47 Rifle Magazine, a Digger, two bows and 13 arrows, 2 LLG bombs, assorted drugs and assorted working tools.

Boko Haram insurgents had on July 25 ambushed troops, including members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, escorting some staff members of the NNPC as well as that of the University of Maiduguri who were carrying out oil exploration activities in Borno Yesu District of Magumeri Local Government Area of Borno state.</s>Nigeria's military has been ordered to strengthen its response to Boko Haram after 69 people were killed in an ambush earlier this week, the government said on Sunday.

Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo held emergency talks with top brass to discuss Tuesday's attack, which targeted an oil exploration team in the northeastern state of Borno.

The attack was the worst since February 2 last year, when 58 people were killed in a twin suicide bomb attack at a camp for the displaced in the Borno town of Dikwa.

Osinbajo's spokesman Laolu Akande said the vice-president, standing in for President Muhammadu Buhari who is on indefinite sick leave, called the attack "appalling".

The meeting with commanders on Thursday saw Osinbajo issue "fresh directives... to immediately scale-up their efforts and activities in Borno state... to maintain a strong, effective control of the situation", he added.

The ambush near Magumeri killed 19 soldiers, 33 militia members and 17 civilians, sources told AFP, while three staff members from the University of Maiduguri were kidnapped.

Boko Haram published a video of the trio on Friday night in which they appealed to Osinbajo to meet their abductors' demands.

Analysts have said the attack, apparently by the Islamic State-supported faction headed by Abu Mus'ab al-Barnawi, was an indication of a newly emboldened Boko Haram.

Nigeria's military has long maintained the group, which in 2014 held territory across northeast Nigeria, is all but defeated as a result of its sustained counter-insurgency.

Osinbajo acknowledged that "pockets of terrorists have been launching attacks recently in Borno state".

But he said the government was "on top of the situation (and) will define the end of these atrocities by both winning the war and winning the peace in the northeast".

At least 20,000 people have been killed in the Islamist insurgency since it began in 2009.

The exploration team from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation was hunting for crude in the Lake Chad basin as part of efforts to diversify supply and boost reserves.

Osinbajo said the ambush would not prevent the process.</s>Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, last night, had another meeting with Service chiefs, Inspector General of Police, Ibrahim Idris; and Director-General of Department of State Services, DSS.The meeting, according to a tweet by Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, was in continuation of the meeting the Acting President has been having with heads of security agencies over the renewed onslaught by the Islamic sect, Boko Haram, on innocent Nigerians.Though the Federal Government had said that Boko Haram had been decimated, there have been frightening increase of kidnapping and suicide bombings by the terrorists in recent times.Akande in his tweeter handle, did not give details of the outcome of the closed-door meeting that took place at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, but he said it was on the renewed efforts on the release of the abducted people, including some staff of University of MaiduguriOsinbajo orders continued search, rescue of abducted NNPC, UNIMAID staffThis came as Osinbajo, yesterday, ordered immediate rescue of officials of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, and University of Maiduguri, UNIMAID, who were kidnapped by Boko Haram insurgents in Borno while on oil exploration mission in Lake Chad Basin.He also said the Federal Government would do everything possible to end atrocities by insurgents in every part of the country, especially in the North East where Boko Haram holds sway.The Acting President’s order came on a day Nigerian Army said that its search and rescue efforts for the kidnapped officials had led to the recovery of 21 additional bodies of the victims killed by the insurgents, oil explorers of NNPC ambushed on Tuesday, July 25, 2017 in Borno has led to recovery of 21 additional dead bodies, including five soldiers, 11 Civilian JTF operatives and five NNPC officials.Osinbajo asked the Army to urgently rescue those still missing, condemning the ambush, attack and abduction of soldiers and civilians who were carrying out their duties to the nation in the Lake Chad Basin Frontier Exploration.Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Laolu Akande, who disclosed the order in a statement in Abuja, yesterday, said: “Prof. Osinbajo commiserates with the families, relatives and associates of those who lost their lives in the despicable onslaught and wishes the injured speedy recovery.“While commending the military for the progress already recorded with the rescue of some of the abducted, Prof. Osinbajo has also ordered the continuation of search and rescue missions to locate and ensure the freedom of all remaining abducted persons as soon as possible, using all available and expedient means in the circumstances.“He adds that justice would be pursued for the victims and against those who engage in this kind of unacceptable, criminal and terrorist conduct.“Acting President Osinbajo pays tribute to the resilience, courage and bravery of officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces for their gallant endeavours and sacrifices for the peace, security and territorial integrity of our country.“He also commends the diligence of the management and staff of the NNPC, and the lecturers/consultants from the University of Maiduguri in pursuing Federal Government’s resolve to grow our country’s current crude oil reserve base through potential exploration in the Lake Chad Basin and that the government will by no means be dissuaded.“Some of these extraordinarily selfless Nigerians from the NNPC and the University Of Maiduguri put their lives on the line that we and generations to come will enjoy the resources of this land. We will never forget that sacrifice.”Army recovers bodies of 5 soldiers, 11 CJTF, 5 NNPC explorersMeanwhile, the Nigerian Army has said that its search and rescue efforts for oil explorers of NNPC ambushed last Tuesday in Borno has led to the recovery of 21 additional dead bodies.The dead bodies, according to the Army, consist of five soldiers, 11 Civilian JTF members and five members of the NNPC exploration team, while six of the 12-member exploration team that went out are still missing and that only one of the NNPC staff returned to base alive.The Army made the disclosure, even as it apologized for the error in misinforming the nation that all kidnapped oil exploration staff contracted by NNPC in the Lake Chad area last week were rescued from Boko Haram.Events that later played out showed that the reverse was the case, as more soldiers were said to have lost their lives in the ambush rather than nine given earlier by the Army.In an update on the rescue effort, Director of Army Public Relations, Brigadier General Sani Usman, said: “The incident of July 25, 2017, where some Boko Haram terrorists ambushed our troops, including members of the Civilian Joint Task Force, CJTF, escorting some staff of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, as well as that of University of Maiduguri, UNIMAID, on oil exploration in Borno Yesu District of Magumeri Local Government Area of Borno State is unfortunate and highly regrettable.“Most regrettable also is my earlier release on the said incident about the rescue of all NNPC staff. The error in the statement was not deliberate.“The Nigerian Army in this present dispensation, is reputed for timely dissemination of information on activities of our troops in all theatre of operations. We have striven to keep the public informed on our activities with no intention of distorting any fact.“Our troops have doubled efforts in the pursuit of the Boko Haram terrorists while search and rescue is still ongoing to secure the safe return of the remaining civilians.“So far, the search and rescue team has recovered additional bodies of five soldiers, 11 Civilian JTF and five members of the exploration team.“Contrary to reports in some media, six members of exploration team, out of 12 that went out, are still missing, while one of the NNPC staff returned to base alive. On the other hand, our pursuit team also recovered two of our gun-trucks and an additional Toyota Buffalo Gun truck from the insurgents.‘’The Nigerian Army condoles with the families of all that lost their loved ones in this unfortunate incident. Search and rescue efforts are ongoing.”“We are counting on the goodwill and support of the populace in volunteering valuable information that could help in the search and rescue operation.“What the remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists are doing are pure criminal activities of kidnapping to gain funds.“This has been noted and will be jointly addressed in conjunction with other security services.“The Nigerian Army remains resolute in the fight against terrorism and would not relent in its effort to safe guard lives of citizens, properties and the territorial integrity of the country.”</s>The Nigerian Army has made further clarification over the Boko Haram ambush on troops.

The incident also affected members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) escorting some staff of Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) as well as that of University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID), who were engaged in oil explorationn in Borno Yesu District of Magumeri Local Government Area of Borno State.

Brigadier General Sani Usman Kukasheka, Director Army Public Relations Officer, in a statement made available to journalists on Sunday morning said, “Most regrettable also is my earlier release on the said incident about the rescue of all NNPC Staff. The error in the statement was not deliberate.”

 ‎

 He said, “the Nigerian Army in this present dispensation is reputed for timely dissemination of information on activities of our troops in all theatre of operations. We have strived to keep the public informed on our activities with no intention of distorting any fact. Our troops have doubled efforts in the pursuit of the Boko Haram terrorists while search and rescue is still on-going to secure the safe return of the remaining civilians.

“So far the search and rescue team has recovered additional bodies of 5 soldiers, 11 Civilian JTF and 5 members of the exploration team.

“Contrary to reports in some media, 6 members of exploration team out of 12 that went out are still missing, while one of the NNPC staff returned to base alive.

“On the other hand, our pursuit team also recovered 2 of our own Gun trucks and an additional Toyota Buffalo Gun truck from the insurgents. In addition, the team also made the following recoveries; 4 Rocket Propelled Grenade Bombs, 4 Rocket Propelled Grenade chargers, 6 AK-47 rifles, 1 Anti-Aircraft Gun, 1 General Purpose Machine Gun,1 Anti-Aircraft Gun Barrel, 1 Rocket Propelled Grenade Tube, 4 Dane Guns, 8 Tyres and 2 Tyre Rims.

“Other items recovered include 1 Pumping Machine, 2 Tyre Jacks, 1 Super Battery, 5 Reflective Jackets, 3 Toyota Hilux, 4 Jerry cans filled with PMS, 1 Motorola Radio, 1 Geographical Positioning System (GPS), 21 empty Jerry cans, 2 Shovels and 3 Food Coolers. Troops also recovered 122 rounds of PKM ammunition, 213 rounds of 7.62mm NATO ammunition, 1255 Anti-Aircraft Guns ammunition, 4 boxes of API 12.7mm ammunition, 1 AK-47 Rifle Magazine, a Digger, 2 Bows and 13 Arrows, 2 LLG Bombs, assorted drugs and assorted working tools.

“The Nigerian Army condoles with the families of all that lost their loved ones in this unfortunate incident. Search and rescue efforts are on-going. We are counting on the goodwill and support of the populace in volunteering valuable information that could help in the search and rescue operation.

“What the remnants of the Boko Haram terrorists are doing are pure criminal activities of kidnapping to gain funds. This has been noted and will be jointly addressed in conjunction with other Security Services.

“The Nigerian Army remains resolute in the fight against terrorism and would not relent in its effort to safe guard lives of citizens, properties and the territorial integrity of the country.”</s>The Peoples Democratic Party, on Sunday, slammed the Federal Government of Nigeria over the killing of lecturers and oil workers on their way to the Lake Chad Basin by the Boko Haram sect.

DAILY POST reports that no fewer than 48 people, including five lecturers of UNIMAID, about 15 soldiers, 11 members of the Civilian Joint Task Force and workers of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation were killed on Thursday on their way to prospect for crude oil in Barno Yasu in the Magumeri Local Government Area of Borno State.

The Nigerian Army had, in a statement on Friday by its spokesman, Brig-Gen. Sani Usman, said it had rescued some of the workers, who were attacked by the sect.

However, shortly after the Army issued the statement, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, said he was not aware of any rescue.

Reacting to the drama, the PDP called on the Federal Government to stop deceiving Nigerians with its claim that Boko Haram had been defeated.

The party said it was sad with the claim by the Vice-Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri, Prof. Ibrahim Njodi, that four of the university’s workers were still held by the sect members in their den.

The spokesperson for the National Caretaker Committee of the PDP, Mr. Dayo Adeyeye, said Nigerians had known that the government was lying.

Adeyeye stated, “The celebration of the alleged defeat of Boko Haram was premature. There was no need for that celebration. It was based on false information and distortion of facts.

“Now, we have seen the result that Boko Haram was not defeated and that is why the Acting President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo, ordered the Army chief to relocate to Maiduguri.

“This is a grand deception; you can see that.

“It has been a complete disaster. Of course, we can have challenges fighting Boko Haram, but they should not deceive Nigerians. That is very important.

“They (the government) went to start the oil exploration in order to deceive Nigerians and the international community that Boko Haram has been defeated. They will claim that after all, we are now there and exploring oil. It is all deceit.”

In his reaction, the National Publicity Secretary of the APC, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, described the statement by the PDP over the incident in Borno State as unfortunate.

Abdullahi said, “What happened in Borno State was tragic. Our hearts go out to the families of those directly affected.

“Having said that, I think it is a tragedy that the opposition party is trying to use this unfortunate incident to play politics. It is mere evidence that the battle against Boko Haram is not yet over.

“How many times did the PDP announce that Shekau has been killed during the last administration? They killed Shekau almost four times, was that not propaganda? How many times did the PDP government announce that they entered into a ceasefire with Boko Haram, was that not propaganda?

“I don’t think that when a tragic situation like this happens, we should see it as a time to play politics.

“At times like this, we need to come together as one people to face it and deal with it. We must forget, before APC came to power, Boko Haram was occupying 50,000 square kilometres of the Nigerian territory; that is not the case today.”</s>According to the group, some statements recently attributed to Senator Ali Ndume, Senator Abubakar Kyari and other northern leaders were capable of escalating terrorism in the north eastern part of Nigeria.

CLC said that such statements could only have been inspired by the numerous benefits that their purveyors derive from any instability in the region

The group in a communiqué issued after an emergency meeting held in Kaduna, Kaduna State on Saturday observed that those in position of influence in Borno State benefit from the regional instability precipitated by Boko Haram as evidenced in the diversion of relief materials meant for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs).

The communiqué jointly signed by Dr. Eugene Tarkema, National Chairman, Dr. Abel Awulu, and Dr. Fagbemi Kolawole, Secretary, called on the Nigerian government and the international community to clampdown on Boko Haram sponsors and financiers.

The communiqué obtained our reporter reads, “The tragedy of Boko Haram terror activities is being exploited by the political class in Borno state; and it is worrisome that highly placed persons in the state government and elders in the state are in on this unacceptable development.

“Recent statements credited to Senator Ali Ndume, Senator Abubakar Kyari and proxies as capable of escalating terrorism in the north east of Nigeria. It is clear that such statements could only have been inspired by the numerous benefits that their purveyors derive from any instability in the region.

“It has been proven that those in position of influence in Borno State benefit from the regional instability precipitated by Boko Haram as evidenced in the diversion of relief materials meant for Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs). There are suggestions that part of the proceeds from diverted materials are channeled into funding Boko Haram.

“Despite the victory against the insurgency by the Nigerian Military, Local Government Authorities in Borno State have refused to convey administrative procedures proceedings thereby diverting funds and sharing with State Government Officials in Maiduguri who had earlier handpicked and stationed them for the purpose.

“There is need for the Borno State Government to come out clearly to render full account to the people and in what what has happened to their resources in the most recent past. The anti-graft agencies own Nigerians answers to these questions for the world to know the nexus between Local Government funds and the operation of Boko Haram in Borno State.

“The initial inaction and eventual active support for Boko Haram members by elders and political leaders in the northeast is playing out in other regions – Biafra secessionists are getting such support in the southeast while the silence that equal acquiescent is bolstering militants in the south-south.

“We call on the country to note that these recent attacks in Borno state are not isolated events but part of a concerted efforts by Borno politicians to revive Boko Haram ahead of the 2019 General Elections. These politicians apparently have a control over the terrorists to an extent that they decide when to unleash them on the country or keep them subdued when it is desirable.

“Also, international relief and donor agencies must immediately stop routing funds through the Borno State Government but instead relate directly with IDPs since there is ample proof that relief resources are an incentive for state officials, who divert and covert them for themselves and for financing terrorists.”</s>Acting President Yemi Osinbajo, SAN said the Nigerian governments is not only “on top of the situation, “, in Borno State, but will also win the peace and the war against Boko Haram.

Osinbajo gave the assurance in a statement by his SSA, Laolu Akande today.

He spoke days after a deadly ambush by Boko Haram terrorists in the North-east led to the deaths of dozens of NNPC and University of Maiduguri staff, out on an oil exploration in the Lake Chad Basin.

Osinbajo described the ambush as appalling.

Prof. Osinbajo commiserated with the families, relatives and associates of those who lost their lives in the despicable onslaught and wished the injured speedy recovery.

The Acting President after an emergency meeting with the Military chiefs on Thursday issued fresh directives to the Nigerian military and all security agencies to immediately scale-up their efforts and activities in Borno State in order to maintain a strong, effective control of the situation and secure lives and property.

While commending the military for the progress already recorded with the rescue of some of the abducted, Prof. Osinbajo has also ordered the continuation of search and rescue missions to locate and ensure the freedom of all remaining abducted persons as soon as possible, using all available and expedient means in the circumstances.

He added that justice would be pursued for the victims and against those who engage in this kind of unacceptable, criminal and terrorist conduct.

Acting President Osinbajo paid tribute to the resilience, courage and bravery of officers and men of the Nigerian Armed Forces for their gallant endeavours and sacrifices for the peace, security and territorial integrity of our country.

He praised the Nigerian soldiers who have paid the ultimate price in this mission and others linked to the current insurgency, and gave a firm assurance that the welfare of the families of the soldiers will be prioritised.

He also commended the diligence of the management and staff of the NNPC, and the lecturers/consultants from the University of Maiduguri in pursuing Federal Government’s resolve to grow our country’s current crude oil reserve base through potential exploration in the Lake Chad Basin, stressing that the government will by no means be dissuaded.

“Some of these extraordinarily selfless Nigerians from the NNPC and the University Of Maiduguri put their lives on the line that we and generations to come will enjoy the resources of this land. We will never forget that sacrifice”
Boko Haram insurgents ambush an oil exploration team in the Magumeri area of Borno State, Nigeria, killing at least 69 people.