The Gombe state government has imposed a 24 hour curfew in Gombe town, capital of Gombe state after Boko Haram militants attempted to overrun it on Saturday.
Eye witnesses said the militants attacked soldiers at the security checkpoints at the edge of the town and forced their way into the quarter guard of the 301 Artillery Regiment.
The quarter guard was burned but they could not proceed into the main barracks which is a little far off.
‘Explosions and gunfire could be heard after the fighters overwhelmed a checkpoint at the edge of the city, which has been bombed before but has never had the insurgents attempt to take it over,” Reuters reported.
Weekly Trust correspondent said panicked residents have largely remained indoors for fear of being caught in the cross fire between the military and the insurgents.
Military helicopters have been reportedly drafted to the troubled areas to push the militants back.
The federal government last week announced the postponement of the presidential and parliamentary elections which were supposed to hold today due to the spate of violence perpetrated by the Boko Haram terrorists.
Earlier on Saturday, the terrorists invaded Dadin Kowa town, 40 kilometers from Gombe.
They were sharing pamphlets warning people to stay away from voting in the coming elections.
The military were not immediately available for comment.

Gombe State government on Saturday declared a 24-hour curfew on the state capital and surrounding areas after a failed attempt by the deadly Boko Haram sect to capture Gombe metropolis.

The military engaged the sect in a fierce battle that lasted over three hours before the capital could be secured.

The imposition of the curfew was contained in a statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government, Abubakar Sule Bage.

Randerl:
We are not getting it right somewhere. Either the government is the spearhead of the current push by BH into Gombe or the saboteurs want to continue blackmailing Nigerians with an excuse to postpone the general elections again