ABUJA—Barely 24 hours after Vanguard’s exclusive report about the establishment of a new Infantry Division for the Nigerian Army with headquarters in Maiduguri, the Federal Government has directed that command of the military onslaught against terrorists in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states be taken over by the Army Headquarters.

President Goodluck Jonathan appears set to boost the strength of the military in the insurgency infested North-east after indications emerged that about 8,000 troops are being sent there.

The residents of Gomari and Bulunkutu wards of Maiduguri metropolis in Borno state are gripped with fear as members of Borno Vigilance Youths Group (BVYG) and the military Joint Task Force (JTF) Thursday, arrested a Boko Haram female terror suspect, along with a 35-year old man, suspected to be an informant to the Islamist sect that engages women in the smuggling and carrying of rifles and ammunition to launch attacks.

Suspected Boko Haram Islamists have stormed a town in Borno, opened fire on police and civilians and killed 11 people, residents and a local lawmaker told AFP Friday.

Boko Haram’s brutal Islamist insurgency has stalled Nigeria’s development, inflamed ethnic tensions and raised concern among its neighbours, a senior US diplomat said Thursday before bilateral security talks.