Boko Haram kills 20 in Borno

Nigeria Nation News Friday September 6th. 2013 Posted by: Our Reporter in Featured, News 10 hours ago 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.