Boko Haram kills 20 in Borno

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.