Boko Haram shoots dead 19 in highway mayhem

Suspected Boko Haram gunmen dressed in
military uniform yesterday killed 19 people
near Nigeria's border with Cameroon in Borno
State.
A resident and a survivor, who confirmed the
attack, said the motorcycle-riding gunmen
armed with Kalashnikovs, blocked the highway
near the town of Logumani, 30 kilometres
from the border around 5:00 am.
Besides shooting and hacking to death the 19
motorists, they also burnt three trucks, the
witnesses said.
"We have recovered 19 dead bodies from the
scene of the attack by Boko Haram gunmen,"
Musa Abur, leader of a civilian vigilante group
in the area told French News Agency (AFP).
"Five of the victims, who included two truck
drivers and their assistants, were shot dead
while the rest were slaughtered," he said.
He said the gunmen had attacked the border
town of Gamboru Ngala near Logumani late on
Friday but were repelled by soldiers and local
vigilantes.
A passenger who survived the attack gave a
similar account.
"We were asked to get out of our vehicles and
lie face down by nine men dressed as soldiers
who blocked the road around 5:00am," the
man who gave his name as Buba told AFP.
"They shot dead five people and went about
slaughtering 14 others before someone called
them on the phone that soldiers were heading
their way," he said.
"They abandoned the rest of us and sped into
the bush on their motorcycles," added Buba
who was shot in the leg.
The military authorities last night confirmed
the attack.
The Director of Army Public Relations, Brig.
Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, confirmed the attack
last night.
The Army spokesman, however, gave the
casualty figure as four. According to him, the
insurgents mounted a roadblock at a border
town and intercepted a truck conveying
foodstuff. "They killed four people on the spot.
Our men went after them and killed a couple
of them. Our men are still going after some of
them that are on the run. Apprehending them
is just a matter of time," Gen. Attahiru. Source: thenation