It was another traumatic day for the people of Biu local government council of Borno state, when trouble broke out on Thursday, barely ten days after gunmen in a tricycle (Keke Napep), suspected to be Boko Haram sect killed a police officer around the City roundabout, off Abba Liman shopping complex.
Trouble started again as another set of gunmen suspected to be armed robbers engaged in a gun duel with some security operatives leading to the death of some security men, two gunmen and some innocent civilians who were caught up in thegun duel . Meanwhile, several houses, shops and vehicles were also set ablaze.
Biu is about 187 kilometres away from Maiduguri, the state capital, and had witnessedseries of attacks, bombings and killings by suspected Boko Haram sect in recent times.
It was gathered on Friday that the gunmen who were armed with sophisticated weapons had stormed a Cocoa Cola shop/Deport at the Abba Liman Shopping Complex within the heart of the town and collected an undisclosedamount of money. While they were on the run, they had an encounter with some security operatives, believed to be Soldiers, leading to the death of one Soldier, two gunmen and some innocent civilians.
An eye witnessed who pleaded anonymity toldour Correspondent on phone that the gunmensucceeded in killing one of the soldiers during the gun duel, adding that two of them were also gunned down, while innocent civilians were killed and injured by stray bullets.
He said "when I was running for my safety, I saw a dead body of a soldier in military uniform, and some other dead bodies suspected to be those among the gunmen and civilians who were caught up in the gun battle . I think about 13 people died, but I am not sure of the exact number because I did not stop or counted the bodies. I was also running safety. I also saw some houses/shops being consumed by flame". He stated.
The Police in Maiduguri and the Joint Task Force can not however be reached as at press time as the Commissioner of Police, Yuguda Abdullahi was not answering his calls. The JTF spokesman Lt. Col. Sagir Musa's mobile phone was permanently switched off, hence no confirmation regarding the new attack could be gotten.
Meanwhile, security has been tightened in Maiduguri, the Borno state capital owing to reports of another possible attack by the Boko Haram sect.
It was also learnt that the police and other security operatives have been directed to be on the red alert as security presence was massive at the time this report was put together.