Revealed: Why Boko Haram Struck Again In Borno

Boko haram may have attacked the Maiduguru International airport for three reasons, it was learnt yesterday. The reasons are the capturing last week of a key commander of Boko Haram by the military, 

the continuous air raid of the sect’s cells on Maiduguri-Damaturu Road and the need for reprisals, and alleged anger over plans by former Governor Modu Ali Sheriff to visit the state and attend a reception where he will speak on the sect.
According to a top source, the arrested commander was said to be the sect’s “key strategist” and they fera he'd be revealing a lot to the military.
The source said: “We are suspecting reprisals following the capturing of the key commander, who had been vital to Boko Haram operation. They must have acted on false intelligence report that the suspect was still either being detained in Maiduguri or was being flown out of the city. They have not been able to locate the said commander. This might have accounted for spontaneous attacks on military installations and some parts of Maiduguri.”
According to another source, the recent air raids on Sambisa Forest and various cells of the sect along Maiduguri-Damaturu highway might have also provoked counter-attacks.
The source said: “We saw the attacks from purely the angle of reprisals because Boko Haram has suffered some setback in recent times. They decided to lay ambush for the military to prove a point that they are still intact in spite of the destruction of their base and cells.
It was gathered that Sheriff was going to speak at a reception where he planned to prove his innocence that he did not breed the sect, as being alleged in some quarters and though the reception was scheduled twice in the last two and a half months, it was cancelled at the last minute.
There were fears that Boko Haram sect might have got wind of the plans and decided to take over the Maiduguri International Airport to stall the reception.
This was made known by a group, Borno League of Professionals, yesterday in a statement by its Chairman, Modu Bukar Ngala and Secretary, Abba Shuaib in a memo to the President.


The Nation