Nigerian Army recapture more towns

After retaking Monguno and Marte from Boko Haram on February 16, the Nigerian army has again recaptured Baga.

The Nigerian army in its ongoing offensive against Boko Haram terrorist group, has recorded key successes within a week by retaking from the terrorist group, the towns of Monguno and Marte on February 16 and the strategic town of Baga in Borno State on February 21, 2015.

What is particular about Baga is the fact that Boko Haram militants attacked, overran and destroyed the town on January 3, 2015.

Retaking the town - at Nigeria's border with Chad, Niger, and Cameroon is particularly important as Baga was the headquarters of a multinational force of troops from all four countries.

The terrorist group equally captured the base of the force. It committed the worse massacres in the area with the Nigerian government talking of 150 people killed but locals talked of up to 2,000 people killed and thousands of the people who fled across Lake Chad to find refuge in the Chadian town of Ngouboua.

"We have secured Baga. We are now in full control. There are only mopping up exercises left to do," Aljazeera quoted Major-General Chris Olukolade, the Nigerian Defence spokesperson as having told Reuters news agency by telephone on Saturday.

Olukolade is also quoted to have said in a statement minutes earlier that "a large number of terrorists had drowned in Lake Chad" as troops advanced on Baga. "Not even the strategy of mining over 1,500 spots with landmines on the routes leading to the town could save the terrorists from the aggressive move of advancing troops," Aljazeera further quotes the Nigerian Defence spokesman as saying.

Boko Haram fighters, Reuters reports, appear to be on the run in many parts of Nigeria and regions near its borders, after being subjected to a major offensive on all sides.

In line with the pressure on the fighters, Niger’s army on February 21, reportedly killed 15 Boko Haram militants in clashes in an island on the Niger side of Lake Chad.