Militants from the Nigerian terrorist group BokoHaram disguised themselves as soldiers and set up a checkpoint, at which they slit the throats of 19 people who stopped. Adamu Mallam knows that he is lucky to be alive.
The Nigerian trader, travelling through the north-east of the country, came across what looked to be an army checkpoint. But when he drew up and stopped his truck, he was ordered out and made to lie down – realising quickly that the men in military uniform were not soldiers, but members of the terrorist group Boko Haram.
"They made me lie face down on the ground. I was next to be killed," said Mr Mallam. "I heard a man close to me screaming. They slaughtered him with a knife."

Mr Mallam was saved when the militants received a phone call, and all sped off on their motorbikes –setting vehicles ablaze as they left.
"I suspect they were alerted to a security presence so had to flee," another trader, with Mr Mallam, told Reuters. "That call saved our lives."
The attack, on the road near the town of Logumani, 30 kilometres (19 miles) from the
border with Cameroon(around 5am on Sunday 20/10/2013), is but the latest in the long list of atrocities carried out by the Islamist militant group – whose name translates as "Western education is forbidden."
BokoHaram, fighting to establish Sharia law in the north of Africa's most populous country, has stepped up the number and scale of attacks in the past two months, with hundreds of killings reported. President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in the area in May, pouring in hundreds of extra troops.
But the insurgents are far from defeated and they have begun using the new tactic of fake checkpoints to spread more fear. Suspected BokoHaram gunmen killed 159 people in two roadside attacks in northeast Nigeria last month, also involving fake checkpoints.
Violence by the group is estimated to have cost
more than 3,600 lives, including killings by the
security forces. Mr Mallam's story of Sunday's attack was backed up by another passenger, who told AFP news agency his name was Buba.
"We were asked to get out of our vehicles and lie face down by nine men dressed as soldiers who blocked the road around 5am," he said.
"They shot dead five people and went about slaughtering 14 others before someone called them on the phone that soldiers were heading their way.
"They abandoned the rest of us and sped into the bush on their motorcycles," added Buba, who was shot in the leg.
He said the attack bore the hallmarks of Boko
Haram.
"We knew they were Boko Haram from their
appearance. Soldiers don't wear beards but some of the gunmen were bearded," he said. "Everyone in this area knows Boko Haram is on the prowl, raiding villages and attacking vehicles.
"It has become a common occurrence."

Obinoscopy: When will this stop? When will the sponsors be caught and prosecuted? When? I need answers.

The BBC's Nigeria correspondent, Tomi Oladipo, says the army often sets up checkpoints on roads in the troubled region to stop the militants, and it could be that the gunmen copied the tactic to catch their victims unawares.
Boko Haram has waged a deadly insurgency since 2009 in its bid to create an Islamic state in the mainly Muslim north of religiously mixed Nigeria.
It has been blamed for many violent attacks which have claimed the lives of nearly 2,000 people since 2011.
The group's name translates as "Western education is forbidden", and it has carried out several attacks on schools and colleges, seeing them as a symbol of Western culture.
Last month, up to 50 students died when suspected Boko Haram militants attacked an agricultural college in the north-east.
The Nigerian military said in August that it might have killed the group's leader, Abubakar Shekau, in a shoot-out.
However, a video released last week purportedly showed him alive. Other previous reports of his death later proved to be unfounded.

This will stop when you give your votes to the Man that can win come 2015... Let your vote speak for you. Vote for Buhari

mccloud224:
You know the problem with us black Africans....


We know what is right. Most of us don't have the balls to fight for what is right. Saviors spring up every now and then and what do we do? We sabotage their efforts because of petty nonsensical reasons such as tribalism and religious differences. That is why Igboho and kanu are where they are today.

The Islamization agenda heralded by the Fulani is over glaring such that even the blind can see through it. How many I go talk?

Dangote cement is now N4,100. In Ghana its N800 max. In Gambia its less than N1,300. Na which day we go get sense? Dangote happens to be Fulani. Every key post controlling Nigeria is run by Fulani. We allow them get to that level because we hate ourselves so much that we would rather have a Jubrin of Sudan rule over us via proxy of "presidential committee" than do what is right. If it were an Edo/Benue/Imo/Cross River person at a time like this when a bag of beans = N100,000 civil war would have broken out long ago.

Southern borders remain shut while excess food keeps pouring into the North. Still on the matter, some sub humans are pushing for Tinubu 2023. Una no dey pity your unborn pikin?

We no like oursef walahi.

uthlaw:
so tinubu is also Fulani, tell us the candidate to vote for in the next election... You where saying the truth until you land on tinubu...I can vote for any candidate (peter obi,osibanjo,zulum)but using language or religion on politics is a no no!