The Defence Headquarters has confirmed that troops from the 29 Task Force Brigade stopped a terrorist attack on Yobe Governor Mai Mala Buni’s convoy on the Maiduguri-Damaturu road on Saturday.
According to a statement issued on Monday in Abuja by the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, the troops also retrieved two cars damaged in the event.
According to him, one military vehicle driver, four police escorts, and one DSS operative were all injured in the attack and were in stable condition.
According to him, one of the injured police escorts died immediately after arriving to Damaturu Specialists Hospital.
“Reinforcement of troops from 29 Task Force Brigade led by the Brigade Commander are conducting a fighting patrol in the area to locate the terrorists who carried out the dastardly act.
“The two vehicles affected in the incident include, one military MRAP and one civilian escort vehicle whose tyres were shot at during the incident, have been safely recovered to the military camp at Benisheikh.
“Operations are ongoing to hunt and destroy the terrorists that perpetrated the attack,” he said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that the governor’s convoy was ambushed by terrorists while returning to Damaturu from Maiduguri, about 6 kilometres from Benesheikh town on Saturday.
The governor was not in the convoy when it was ambushed.
The Secretary to the State Government and some other top government officials who were in the convoy were unhurt.