Nigerian Army to Promote soldiers who fought Baga battle with Boko Haram

The Nigerian Army had on Wednesday announced a special promotion for all soldiers involved in the fight to liberate the Borno town of Baga from Boko Haram insurgents. 

The Chief of Army Staff (COAS), Lt.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah, announced the promotion while addressing the soldiers during an official visit to Baga in Kukawa Local Government Area. 

Minimah said the promotion was to reward the soldiers for their gallant effort in flushing out the insurgents. 

He added that soldiers who died in the battle with the insurgents would also be promoted posthumously.

The army chief said Baga town has been retaken from Islamic extremists and that displaced residents should be able to return.

Boko Haram has denied the military retook Baga, and only a government TV crew was embedded on the flight to the town on Lake Chad near the border with Cameroon. Extremists had killed hundreds of people there in a January attack after Nigerian troops fled.

Minima said residents forced to leave should be able to return to vote in elections slated for March 28.

Boko Haram, which denounces democracy as a corrupt Western concept, has warned it will disrupt the elections with attacks.