Boko Haram hits Borno again

The Boko Haram men made good their promise on Wednesday night as they stormed an Area Command office of the police in Maiduguri in a bloody shoot-out that lasted about an hour. One person was reported dead while many others were injured.

The sect members who were said to have fore-warned of their planned attack, stormed the Ibrahim Taiwo Area Command/Police Division along Baga Road in the metropolis on Wednesday night at about 8pm in a convoy of three Golf cars. Sources said they engaged the police in a shoot-out for about an hour, adding that a water hawker who lived around the area was hit by a stray bullet during the exchange of fire between the sect and the police.

Residents around Baga Road said the Wednesday shooting was deadlier, noting that the Boko Haram men might have attacked the police with sophisticated arms. “The way they arrived that place was baffling despite heavy presence of police and soldiers everywhere in the city. The manner by which they fired too was suprising. I believe the sect possesses sophisticated weapons because of the way they engaged the police for about one hour and then drove out of the area in confidence. I suspect we are in for a big problem again,” Annas who resides around the area told Daily Sun.

Eyewitnesses said about seven people hit by stray bullets might have died in the attack while many were injured but the police said only one person died. Assistant Commissioner of Police, Zakari Adamu, confirmed that the sect stormed the police station in three Golf cars, adding that “they were overpowered by the superior fire-power of the police, which made them flee.” He disclosed that the police pursued the attackers and succeeded in arresting four suspects.

While residents were still recovering from the panic created by the Wednesday night shooting, a bomb exploded along the popular Lagos Street, few metres to the NUJ Press Centre. Two soldiers and three policemen were injured. A Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV) of the Joint Task Force team with soldiers and policemen was said to be heading towards Lagos Street when the bomb exploded. Police said they had every reason to believe the bomb was planted on the road by the Boko Haram men knowing full well the patrol team would ply the road that morning to their duty post.

The city was again thrown into panic as residents living in the area were barred from coming out of their houses. The road was also sealed off to disallow motorists and motorcyclists from moving to the area. Motorists were subjected to thorough search by the police and soldiers on the highways in other parts of the city, causing traffic jams.