The Boko Haram sect
came back with fury
yesterday, despite the
serious efforts by the
military to crush its
insurgency.
Men suspected to be
members of the sect,
bearing sophisticated
weapons, launched
attacks in Borno State,
killing no fewer than 20
people.
They attacked schools
and hospitals, setting
some houses on fire in
Gajiram, headquarters
of Nganzai Local
Government and
Bulabulin Ngawra village
in Konduga Local
Government Area of
the beleaguered state.
Nganzai is about 73
kilometres from
Maiduguri, the state
capital. Bullabulin
Ngawra is 45 kilometres
away. The local
governments share
boundaries with the
terrorists’ major camps
in Marte and the
Sambisa Forests, which
the military said had
been destroyed since
June.
The terrorists reported
to be about 40, were
armed with Ak47 rifles.
No fewer than 15
people were killed in the
ambush on Gajiram. The
vigilance youths also
known as “civillian JTF”
and military men later
engaged them.
The terrorists also laid
ambush to the
Damboa-Maiduguri road,
which was reopened
two weeks ago, where
they were believed to
have shot dead five
people.
“The Boko Haram sect
members attacked
Bullabulin Ngawra in the
early hours of today
(Thursday) and killed
five people. I believe
that they attacked us
because of how our
volunteers have
succeeded in curtailing
their atrocities in our
area,” an eyewitness
said.
Some Maiduguri
residents told reporters:
“We saw two Hilux
patrol vehicles of the
military conveying
bodies and the injured
heading towards
University of Maiduguri
Teaching Hospital
(UMTH), but we could
not ascertain whether
they were victims of
the latest attack in
Nganzai or Bullabulin
Ngawra”.
It was gathered that
on Wednesday, the
“Civilian JTF” and the
military arrested 14
terror suspects with
arms and ammunition in
Bulunkutu ward,
University of Maiduguri
Teaching Hospital
(UMTH) premises and
Sulimanti ward of
Maiduguri metropolis.
The suspects, according
to sources in Maiduguri,
sneaked into the
hospital through the
perimeter fence, before
the youths sighted
them with rifles and
ammunition at about
10.35am on Wednesday.
“The suspects
disguised as injured and
sick persons with rifles
hidden under their
flowing gowns. They
perforated the barbed
wires; before entering
the hospital premises
to seek medical
attention. The vigilance
youths saw the
suspects and arrested
them on the spot,
before handing them to
us here.”
Some suspects were
also arrested in
Bulunkutu in Maiduguri
when they were trying
to collate information
on the activities of the
civilian JTF.
The military spokesman
in Borno Lt. Col. Sagir
Musa, said he was not
aware of the incidents.
He promised to get
back to reporters after
compiling his report.
Source: thenationonlineng.net/new/boko-haram-kills-20-in-borno/