Boko Haram Militants Overrun Prestigious Mobile Police Training College In Gwoza

Heavily armed insurgents belonging to the Islamist
sect, Boko Haram, today invaded a well-known
Nigerian Police training college in Gwoza, Borno
State.
Our police sources said the militants, who numbered
several hundred, stormed the police college with five
armored tanks they had earlier seized from Nigerian
soldiers who had had made several unsuccessful
attempts to dislodge the sect from Gwoza over the
last two weeks.
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The sources told The Prevailed that the college had
five units of police officers in training at the time of
today's attack. One source disclosed that each unit
had 59 trainees and a unit commander. Among the
units in residence at the college were two mobile
police (MOPOL) units from Nasarawa and Gombe
States and a mobile police unit from Abuja. Two
other units from Zamfara State were also at the
college during the attack.
One of our sources disclosed that numerous trainees
were killed or seriously injured by the militants who
carried out the assault. "Those who survived the
attack had to run to the mountains nearby," said the
source. He added that some of the trainees managed
to escape to Adamawa State.
A police source told our correspondent that the
surging militants blew up an armored tank stationed
at the gate of the training camp before gaining
entrance into the school and wreaking havoc.
Boko Haram had seized much of Gwoza town two
weeks ago. They hoisted the sect's flag in the town
and appointed an Emir to administer the strategic
northeastern township, after the town's traditional
ruler escaped with other refugees.
The training center was one of the few government
facilities that remained out of the control of the sect,
until today's massive offensive by the insurgents.
Since the Islamist group's take over of much of the
town, the Nigerian army had launched a series of
operations to liberate the town. But each of the
military actions had been repelled by the militants in
counter-attacks that proved deadly both for Nigerian
troops and insurgents, according to a military
source.
Recent efforts by the military to mobilize troops in a
determined battle to wrest Gwoza from Boko Haram
have been hampered by protests by soldiers and their
spouses.
The Prevailed learned that many soldiers were
refusing orders from their superiors go on missions
against Boko Haram fighters. The defiant soldiers
and their wives have expressed concern that the
Islamist insurgents are equipped with weapons that
are far superior to the weaponry and other
equipment available to soldiers.
"Some of the soldiers complain that their weapons
do not march those of Boko Haram," one source
said.

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