Boko Haram takes over Borno communities, ambush soldiers

Violent  sect, Boko Haram, may have taken over a large expanse of land in the troubled Borno State with recent attack on Damboa town, which has destroyed the major military presence between the state capital, Maiduguri, and another major town in the state, Biu.

Travelers from Maiduguri to Gombe as a result, have been compelled to travel via Maiduguri/Damaturu highway, forcing the travellers to spend 12 hours on a journey that would have taken four hours.

Many travelers on Maiduguri/Damboa/Biu highway had been forced to abort their journey as they had been attacked at different spots on the 187 kilometres road.

Some residents of Mule, 15 kilometres from Maiduguri, told journalists that they had seen many vehicles, who had travelled on the road, returned with corpses.

An attack on Bulabulin Nganaram on Monday threw the residents of Maiduguri into panic as residents thought the terrorist group was heading for the town.

The residents of Maiduguri had to stay off the streets, picked their children from schools and closed their business premises.

There was also a heavy fighting between the military and the insurgents last Friday at Damboa, which led to about 70 deaths, with the military, police and insurgents recording casualties.

The military had had to vacate its base in the town since then.

Sources revealed that the bid to reclaim the town was however disastrous as the soldiers, who left Maiduguri on the task, were ambushed by the insurgents, resulting in some deaths and injuries on Wednesday.

The number of casualties could not however be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.

Mohammed Jidda, the Chairman of the youth vigilance group, popularly called Civilian JTF in Mule village, told journalists about 60 settlements, stretching from Maiduguri to Biu, had been deserted with the residents fleeing to Maiduguri.

Mule is about 15 kilometres from Maiduguri and Jidda said apart from Mule and Dalwa, that remains partially deserted, the entire communities up to Biu had been deserted.