We could no longer run from insurgents — Borno residents At - TopicsExpress

We could no longer run from insurgents — Borno residents At least 100 people including civilians, terrorists and security operatives lost their lives, while several others sustained gunshot wounds in three separate attacks on Damaturu, Yobe State capital, Maiduguri Borno State capital as well as Lassa village, Borno State. The attacks lasted three days. In Damaturu alone, about 60 people lost their lives last Monday morning when over 100 suspected members of Boko Haram in a convoy of Toyota Hilux vehicles, laden with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and motorcycles, attacked the Yobe capital, torching some buildings at Bukar Abba Ibrahim University (BAIU), the state owned radio station, telecom masts, a police mobile base and a primary school, sources said. On Tuesday, at about 11:25am, 22 people were feared killed while 48 were others injured when two female suicide bombers detonated IEDs at Layin Yankaji gate of the Monday Market, Maiduguri. The blasts came about one week after twin explosions hit the market in which over 70 people, mostly traders, were killed and about 98 sustained serious injuries. In the attack on Lassa village in Askira/Uba local government area of Borno State, 11 residents died while churches and houses were burnt. Sources said vigilante youths in the village confronted the attackers, leadingto the killing of 41 suspected Boko Haram members while 17 were captured. Confirming the Damaturu incident, the Yobe Police Commissioner, Markus Danladi, said soldiers and policemen repelled the insurgents with casualties on both sides, saying the battle lasted over four hours. Speaking on the Maiduguri attacks, Borno State police spokesman, Gideon Jibrin, said in a text message to journalists that ” two female suicide bombers detonated explosives in Monday Market in two different locations, killing 16 people, and injuring many”. The Damaturu incident started at about 6am and left many residents trapped in their houses, while thousands of others fled into the bush. A resident, Mallam Yakubu Aliyu, while narrating the incident, said, “The early morning attack which started at about 6am in Damaturu was targeted at police and military formations as well as selected houses, a situation that left many people dead. “The police mobile base in Damaturu was one of the security formations that came under attack and was razed by insurgents”. Another resident, Mallam Usmanu Iliya, said, “As I am talking to you now, there are explosions in the southern part of the city and people are fleeing.” He claimed to have been woken up by gunshots and blasts at about 6am, and suspected Boko Haram may be attacking. Another resident told our reporter, “We were running for our lives…we were under attack… We didn’t know whereto hide, the shooting was all over….”. The locals at Lassa reportedly resisted the attack by engaging the attackers with locally made guns, bows and arrows. Lassa is predominantly a Christian community. Ali Mamza, a resident and member of the vigilante group in the village, told reporters, “If we flee today, tomorrow, we will continue to flee and these murderers will continue to kill. I think our decision to fight yielded fruit as it is better that few people are killed than for hundreds to be killed. We will continue to encourage ourselves, because they will keep coming, we cannot run any longer.” The Damaturu attackers detonated explosives along Gujba Road before they advanced to the police mobile base and set it ablaze. The gunmen shot their way indiscriminately into the base but the casualty figures could not be ascertained. “I was performing ablution preparatory to saying my early morning prayers when a loud blast went off and shooting started,” one of the residents said. “We all ran into the bush but we could see the mobile base in flames amid the shootings .” Students of Yobe State University told our correspondent that they managed to escape to the bush from their hostels but could not confirm if the school buidings were torched. One of the students, Mr. Modu Alhaji Isa, said, “The gunmen burst into the state capital through the Gujba axis of Damaturu-Biu road; and commenced shooting sporadically and torching buildings before soldiers and policemen confronted them in a fierce battle that lasted over four hours”. A fighter jet from the Nigerian Air Force soon arrived to provide aerial support for the troops to repel the insurgents. At 9:am, reports indicated that shootings were subsiding after the military plane dropped explosives on the invaders. It was gathered that before the attack, insurgents had captured nearby Buni/Yadi and Bara towns in Gujba and Gulani council areas of Yobe State, and continued to control them. Leave a Comment