There are reports of gunfire
around a police station, other
sections of Potiskum in Yobe
State, with unconfirmed reports
of casualties
(07 Jan)
Witnesses in northeastern
Nigeria say a gunbattle between
unknown assailants and police
early Saturday had scores of
residents in the town of
Potiskum fleeing their homes for
safety.
There are reports of gunfire
around a police station and
other sections of the town in
Yobe State, with unconfirmed
reports of casualties.
Potiskum is among 15 regions in
northern Nigeria where
President Goodluck Jonathan
declared a state of emergency
last week after days of deadly
attacks.
Saturday's violent outburst
follows two days of attacks
when gunmen killed at least 20
people in northeastern Nigeria.
The attacks on Christians Friday
happened in the Mubi district of
Adamawa state, near the border
with Cameroon. A local
journalist told VOA's Hausa
service that unidentified gunmen
opened fire at three locations in
the district. Reports from the
area say the attacks targeted
people of the Igbo ethnic group.
A purported spokesman for the
radical Islamist sect Boko Haram
claimed responsibility for the
attacks. The spokesman, known
as Abu Qaqa, also said Boko
Haram was responsible for an
attack on a church in Gombe
state late Thursday that killed six
people and wounded 10.
He said the attacks were in
response to an ultimatum Boko
Haram issued earlier this week,
demanding that Christians in the
largely Muslim north leave the
region.
Boko Haram has claimed
responsibility for a number of
recent attacks in Nigeria,
including a Christmas Day
bombing that killed more than
40 Christians.
President Jonathan has vowed to
crush Boko Haram, but his critics
complain that he has done little
to rein in the group.