Army arrests six senior officers, including an injured Lieutenant Colonel for fleeing

Six military commanders, including an injured Lieutenant Colonel, have been arrested by the military for withdrawing from Mararaba, Michika, Madagali, Mubi and later Vimtim when Boko Haram insurgents attacked the communities last week.

It was learnt that an unspecified number of soldiers were also in detention for allegedly abandoning the communities, thereby making easy for the insurgents to have an upper hand.

A reliable military source, who made this known in Abuja on Sunday said   the movement of five of the commanders had been restricted to the officers mess in a military formation.

The source, who did not name the military formation, because of security reason, added that “one of them, a Leutenant Colonel   is receiving treatment at the MRS in Yola for   serious injuries he sustained when the car in which he was escaping with somersaulted several times.”

He said the injured officer   would join his colleagues in the officers mess on recovery.

The source explained that the military authorities were determined to find out why the Boko Haram’s advance in the state was not resisted by the troops.

He said the military   chiefs   were of the opinion that the “tactical withdrawal” of the soldiers from their   positions was nothing but a “display of indiscipline and cowardice which  would not be tolerated.”