Leader Abubakar Shekau has announced a caliphate in areas Boko Haram controls
Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram has seized the key north-eastern town of Bama after fierce fighting with government forces, residents say.

Thousands of civilians have fled the town, along with soldiers, they added.

However, military sources said the army was still in control of Bama, the second biggest town in Borno state.

Last month, Boko Haram said it had established an Islamic state in the towns and villages it controls in north-eastern Nigeria.

If confirmed, the capture of Bama would be an extremely significant development and would raise concerns that Boko Haram's next target will be Maiduguri, the state capital about 70km (44 miles) away, says BBC Hausa service editor Mansur Liman in the capital, Abuja


Residents told BBC Hausa that Boko Haram captured Bama, which the 2006 census showed had a population of about 270,000, after heavy fighting on Sunday and Monday.

The militants, who travelled in tanks and armoured trucks, first seized the military barracks in the town, they said.

Soldiers and residents fled on foot, many of them walking all the way to Maiduguri, residents told the BBC.


Government troops are battling to defeat the well-armed insurgents
Nigerian security sources said the assault had been repelled and about 70 militants had been killed, news agencies report.

The air force was used to "dislodge the swamp of terrorists" from Bama, the military said on its Twitter account.

An overnight curfew has been imposed in Maiduguri to prevent "infiltration" by militants after the "heavy casualties" they suffered, it added.

Boko Haram's five-year insurgency has intensified in recent months despite the deployment of thousands of extra troops to the worst-affected areas.

In April, the militants captured more than 200 girls from a boarding school in the town of Chibok, also in Borno state.

Source: http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29021037?ocid=socialflow_twitter

pls divide dis country make me nd my people no as we go take defend our lives when d time comes. I kip sayin it majority of nigeria soldiers are hausa/fulanis nd many of them are boko sympathisers, thus d nig army is compromisd. So pls divide dis country.

op, why do u ppl like to glorify boko haram exploits? the book haram attack was repelled and u r here giving false news...

The US may be right about their prophesy of doom for Nigeria come 2015 at all.

asadike: pls divide dis country make me nd my people no as we go take defend our lives when d time comes. I kip sayin it majority of nigeria soldiers are hausa/fulanis nd many of them are boko sympathisers, thus d nig army is compromisd. So pls divide dis country.

Have u read anytin in the last 30mins on major international news media. We got to know of the chibok abduction from international media outlets first. Unless they are all working for the APC?

lekkie073: op, why do u ppl like to glorify boko haram exploits? the book haram attack was repelled and u r here giving false news...

SunandRay: Have u read anytin in the last 30mins on major international news media. We got to know of the chibok abduction from international media outlets first. Unless they are all working for the APC?

so if d foreign media says my house is on fire while I am still inside my house, I should believe them? no wonder it was so easy to colonise d Blackman

Jonathannnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnn
Bama is gone like that!!!

Extremists always target countries with weak government and compromised institutions #insurgency

Nigerian media never reported the chibok case until it was too late and had become a stale news. Its a known fact tht our media outlets are up for grab by the highest bidders. Their gross inepititude and lack of profesionalism is so conspicous tht its a sad tale to talk abt. They're all appendages of one paymaster or the other (politians/political parties), always singing the praises of their paymasters. RELY ON NIGERIA NEWS MEDIA AT YOUR OWN DETRIMENT.

lekkie073: so if d foreign media says my house is on fire while I am still inside my house, I should believe them? no wonder it was so easy to colonise d Blackman

SunandRay: Nigerian media never reported the chibok case until it was too late and had become a stale news. Its a known fact tht our media outlets are up for grab by the highest bidders. Their gross inepititude and lack of profesionalism is so conspicous tht its a sad tale to talk abt. They're all appendages of one paymaster or the other (politians/political parties), always singing the praises of their paymasters. RELY ON NIGERIA NEWS MEDIA AT YOUR OWN DETRIMENT.

all media dance to the tune of their respective paymasters......cnn reports a case the way d CIA wants it reported. why didn't any foreign media report that boko haram is a CIA operation?

Are SW leaders still sleeping or they are still talking about marginalisation (position sharing for their foreign passport carrying children) ?

SunandRay:
Leader Abubakar Shekau has announced a caliphate in areas Boko Haram controls
Nigeria's militant Islamist group Boko Haram has seized the key north-eastern town of Bama after fierce fighting with government forces, residents say.

Thousands of civilians have fled the town, along with soldiers, they added.

However, military sources said the army was still in control of Bama, the second biggest town in Borno state.

Last month, Boko Haram said it had established an Islamic state in the towns and villages it controls in north-eastern Nigeria.

If confirmed, the capture of Bama would be an extremely significant development and would raise concerns that Boko Haram's next target will be Maiduguri, the state capital about 70km (44 miles) away, says BBC Hausa service editor Mansur Liman in the capital, Abuja


Residents told BBC Hausa that Boko Haram captured Bama, which the 2006 census showed had a population of about 270,000, after heavy fighting on Sunday and Monday.

The militants, who travelled in tanks and armoured trucks, first seized the military barracks in the town, they said.

Soldiers and residents fled on foot, many of them walking all the way to Maiduguri, residents told the BBC.


Government troops are battling to defeat the well-armed insurgents
Nigerian security sources said the assault had been repelled and about 70 militants had been killed, news agencies report.

The air force was used to "dislodge the swamp of terrorists" from Bama, the military said on its Twitter account.

An overnight curfew has been imposed in Maiduguri to prevent "infiltration" by militants after the "heavy casualties" they suffered, it added.

Boko Haram's five-year insurgency has intensified in recent months despite the deployment of thousands of extra troops to the worst-affected areas.

In April, the militants captured more than 200 girls from a boarding school in the town of Chibok, also in Borno state.

Source: http://m.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-29021037?ocid=socialflow_twitter

Dumb op,misleading post...Seun stop allowing such lies-especially when it borders on National security-let us use our heads-see CNN dey prop up America, Aljazeera dey support qatar and partners. dumb Nigerians and Nairaland dey prop up terrorists...setting up their own destruction,isn't dat dumb?

While I am not here to promote any article or issue tht may be detrimental to our national security or defend what a news media with a reporter live in the troubled area may have published, it's worthy to note and called your attention to your lack of understanding on the use of English language. This is evident by your erroneous judgment that the headline is misleading while u fail to take note of the use of the key word seize is in quotes ('seize'). According to Scientific Writing, the use of words in quotes denotes its subject to further confirmation or verification, therefore you can't crucify BBC for doing its job or me for bringing information closer to my fellow nairalanders. I love my country as long as it exist or till I die, whichever comes first. Peace to you Bro.

Afroconnect:
Dumb op,misleading post...Seun stop allowing such lies-especially when it borders on National security-let us use our heds-see CNN dey prop up America, Aljazeera dey support qatar, dumb Nigeria and Nairaland dey prop up terrorists.

SunandRay: While I am not here to promote any article or issue tht may be detrimental to our national security or defend what a news media with a reporter live in the troubled area may have published, it's worthy to note and called your attention to your lack of understanding on the use of English language. This is evident by your erroneous judgment that the headline is misleading while u fail to take note of the use of the key word seize is in quotes ('seize'). According to Scientific Writing, the use of words in quotes denotes its subject to further confirmation or verification, therefore you can't crucify BBC for doing its job or me for bringing information closer to my fellow nairalanders. I love my country as long as it exist or till I die, whichever comes first. Peace to you Bro.

now u don start lecture on English 101. mr man, d heading, body and conclusion of DAT report whether its from BBC or wareva is misleading! #simple