BEVERLY HILLS, August 25, (THEWILL) – Nigeria’s Defence Headquarters Monday said soldiers withdrew in “a tactical maneuver ” into Cameroun during fierce fighting with Boko Haram insurgents and had to surrender their weapons to Cameroun authorities.
The military’s explanation followed speculations that some 400 Nigerian soldiers fled from the frontlines and defected into Cameroun in the heat of a gunfight between them and the Boko Haram.
A statement posted on a Defence website said, “The Nigerian troops that were found in Cameroun was as a result of a sustained battle between the troops and the terrorists around the borders with Cameroun which saw the Nigerian troops charging through the borders in a tactical maneuver. Eventually they found themselves on Camerounian soil. Being allies the normal protocol of managing such incident demanded that the troops submit their weapons in order to assure the friendly country that they were not on a hostile mission.
“Following necessary discussions between Nigerian and Camerounian military authorities, the issues have been sorted out. Subsequently, the troops are on their way back to join their unit in Nigeria.”
The DHQ added that “The reference to the incidence as a defection is therefore not appropriate considering the discussion between the two countries’ military leadership and the series of contacts with the soldiers who have confirmed that they are safe.”
Meanwhile, the military said troops are repelling a group of terrorists who are trying to enter the country through Gamborou Ngala, a border town in Borno State. “A group of them who fizzled into the town are being pursued,” the DHQ statement said.
