Exclusive: Nigerian army faces new dangers in Boko Haram campaign

By Ulf Laessing BAMA, Nigeria (Reuters) - Nigeria's military has liberated large swathes of land from Boko Haram but a ride with an army convoy, all guns firing for fear of ambush, shows how far the northeast is from normality after a brutal Islamist insurgency that has displaced millions. The moment military convoys leave the relative safety of Bama, Borno state's second town, soldiers in the lead vehicle open fire with a heavy cannon into the scrub along the road to pre-empt attacks by remaining fighters from the Islamist group. As they head for the regional capital, Maiduguri, the soldiers scan the road for bombs or booby-traps, while shooting at any possible cover - abandoned petrol stations, burned out farmhouses, trees, even clumps of elephant grass.