The Boko Haram Islamist militant group raided a cement facility owned by the French group Lafarge as part of an attack on two towns in northeast Nigeria on Thursday, witnesses said.

"The gunmen kept shouting 'Allahu Akbar' (God is great) and firing guns haphazardly. They went into the cement factory and took away some vehicles," said Samail Adnan, who lives in Ashaka, in Gombe state.

A company staff member, who asked not to be identified, said the factory was evacuated before the raid.

Lafarge is a leading producer of building and construction materials with 23 production sites and more than 11,000 employees in Africa.

It was the latest militant attack in northeastern Nigeria, where Boko Haram maintains a stronghold. At least five people were killed on Monday when two female suicide bombers blew themselves up in an attack targeting a crowded market in the northeastern Nigerian city of Maiduguru. Two teenage girls blew themselves up at the same crowded market a week earlier, claiming the lives of at least 44 people.

(FRANCE 24 with AFP)

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What's with the emphasis on 'french firm' ? Is that suppose to be a diversion?

theM16:
What's with the emphasis on 'french firm' ? Is that suppose to be a diversion?

thought so too

Space booked BRB

na wa o

This consolidates the position of some that the French Government seem to have something to do with BH. This seems like a response to the accusation of BH having the sympathy of French interests. How come they are just attacked and the French media arm went to town with emphasis on the target being French?

Na lie! Boko haram wants us to believe they are not connected to france. Is it now that we saw the arms being carried to them by their sponsors that they thought it wise to attack a company owned by the french to hoodwink us? Idi0ts!!!

A company staff member, who asked not to be identified, said the factory was evacuated before the raid.

Doesn't this statement mean that the staff has been pre-informed of the coming of the BH guys, Hence their evacuation in time before the attack. How did they get this information, or was it just play acting on the part of the french to make us believe that BH attacked them too...