The Defence Headquarters has confirmed that troops of the 29 Task Force Brigade foiled an attack on the convoy of Yobe Governor, Mai Mala Buni by terrorists along the Maiduguri-Damaturu road on Saturday.
A statement by the Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Edward Buba, on Monday in Abuja, said the troops also recovered two vehicles affected in the incident.
He said one military truck driver, four police escorts and one DSS operative wounded in the attack were in stable condition.
According to him, one of the injured police escorts died shortly upon arrival at the Specialists Hospital Damaturu.
“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.