8 French Boko Haram Nationals Arrested,France Demands For Them

Military sources have confirmed the arrest of eight
French nationals, caught fighting under the terror
group Boko Haram.
According to ThisDay Live, The Cameronian army
had apprehended these fighters and are insisting
on trying them, but France is against this idea.
Boko Haram jeep recovered
A Nigerian military insider told reporters that the
arrest of these Europeans have caused tensions
between France and one of her Francophone allies
in the sub-region following the shocking discovery
that some French citizens are staunch members of
the sect, a throwback to their membership of the
terror group, Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS).
Findings suggest that France is angry at her
former colony for not giving up on the idea of
trying them in Africa and wants the French men
handed over to the French authorities.
French Foreign Minister, Mr. Lauren Fabuci had
ordered for the transfer of the suspects into French
hands.
This has angered the Cameroonian authorities, who
are dumbfounded by the manner in which France
had demanded the release of its nationals.
A Cameroonian minister was quoted to have said:
“Mr. Lauren Fabuci, the French Foreign Minister,
has ordered Cameroun to release immediately
eight Europeans captured by our security men, for
being part of Boko Haram terrorists.
“Mr. Fabuci demanded their immediate handover to
France so that they can prosecute the terrorists on
French soil, ignoring our sovereignty and
independence.
“The French are acting as if Cameroun is their
errand boy that they can order around and ignore
the fact that we have our own laws with which we
can try the terrorists.”
The latest revelation has lent credence to strong
suspicions in the Nigerian intelligence community
that Boko Haram has strong foreign backing.
Nigeria has not revealed her position and it seems
the West African giant is just going to back away
from this one.
Director of Defence Information, Major-General
Chris Olukolade, said that the matter was for
France and her former colony to resolve and not
ours.
“All I can tell you is that the matter is for
Cameronian and French authorities to settle,”
Olukolade stated.
One top military source in Nigeria has however
revealed that the military had known of boko
haram’s foreign collaboration.
He said that foreign soldiers for the sect include,
Chadians, Arabs, Malians and other Islamists who
have joined the sect.
“Now we have seen evidence of French and
European participation. This is one major
indication that Boko Haram has very active and
sophisticated foreign backing. I advise that the
African Union should take this up.
“France is trying to silence the Cameroonians but
Africa must rise to the occasion and take this
findings seriously. They must not keep quiet,” the
military source said.
The Nigerian army has however continued its
current onslaught to get rid of the sect before the
national elections.
With the help of the Nigerian Air Force, the
military’s advance into Boko Haram held areas
have been succesful.
This information is coming after sources close to
the military revealed that the boundary town of
Baga and to some extent Bama are close to being
liberated, and the army are just carrying out mop
up in some areas.
Major General Olukolade had yesterday said: “A
concerted air campaign by the Nigerian Air Force is
ongoing in furtherance of the mission to clear
terrorists from all their enclaves.
“The air strikes which today (yesterday) targeted
the training camps and logistics dumps of the
terrorists in Sambisa forest and parts of Gwoza
have been highly successful as it achieved the aim
with required precision.
“The death of a large number of terrorists has been
recorded, while many others are also scampering
all over the forest and out of the struck bases.
Details of casualty will be determined in
subsequent phases of the operation.”
Olukolade had revealed that these recent strikes to
strategic boko haram would continue.
This recent resurgence of the army has been
buoyed by the advance of the Chadian army who
recently liberated Dikwa.
One Bababura Diwa, who lives in the town said
that Chadians came from Gamboru with heavy
artillery power overpowered a group of militants at
Lomani village, 15 kilometres from Dikwa.
“When they came into Dikwa, there was intense
fighting but at last they subdued the Boko Haram
fighters,” he added.
“They killed many of them, including Abu Ashshe,
their commander, who was notorious for seizing
cattle in the area.
“I used the opportunity provided by the presence
of the Chadian troops to leave the town. I was
afraid to leave when Boko Haram took over the
town for fear of being branded a traitor and killed,”
he said.
The Chadians are part of a four-country coalition
mounting a regional fight-back against the
Islamists.