SAN FRANCISCO, September 18, (THEWILL) – An ambush by Boko Haram gunmen, Tuesday evening , on the busy Maiduguri/Damaturu highway has claimed the lives of not less than 23 persons with several others abducted by the insurgents.
The gunmen, who were said to have disguised as military operatives as they were dressed in military camouflage, had laid siege to the highway near Benisheikh, a town on the busy road about 72km West of Maiduguri, where they were also said to have burnt over 100 houses, shops and scores of vehicles which they attacked during the operation.
Sources in the area disclosed that many of the victims were people from Maiduguri who were on their way to Damaturu and other parts of Yobe State to make phone calls following the shutdown of GSM lines in Borno State since May .
Speaking on the incident in Maiduguri, the state capital on Wednesday, Garba Ngamdu, Special Adviser on Labour to Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, who hails from the town, said the gunmen killed five persons in Benisheikh and set ablaze at least 100 houses and shops.
“The attack occurred in the evening of Tuesday at about 6pm, when the Boko Haram gunmen attacked our town, killing five persons and burning several houses, not less than 100 had been counted. They also attacked motorists and killed several persons of which I cannot give actual figure of casualties.
“Based on the information at hand, only five residents of the area were killed. A large chunk of the victims were motorists traveling on the highway; although we do not have a tentative figure yet,” he said.
The state police commissioner, Tanko Lawan, who confirmed the incident in Maiduguri on Wednesday, could not give much details of the incident.
“It was an unfortunate incident that happened in Benisheikh. But we are yet to get details of what happened especially on casualty figure.
We have sent a team of our men down there to ascertain what happened so that we can brief the press properly,” the police chief said.
Recounting his experience, Haliru Ismail , a commercial driver along the road, said his vehicle was burnt and some of his passengers were killed while others were taken away by the am gunmen.
“The gunmen who attacked us were dressed like soldiers and were carrying heavy arms.
“After they stopped us, they asked us all to come down from the bus; and then one of them hit me on the head with the butt of his gun. It was then I knew they were not soldiers and I had to fall on the ground and pretended to be unconscious. They started firing, and asking some others, including women to enter their packed vehicles. They were more than 30 in number dressed in military uniform,” he disclosed.
A motorist who escaped unhurt, Mallam Isa Manu, said: “The militants arrived in military vans and uniforms around 6pm. They set up check points on the Damaturu-Maiduguri highway and ordered motorists to park and identify themselves.”
He said several motorists who identified themselves as Borno indigenes were shot dead on the spot while those that told them they were outsiders were left to go unharmed.
“I was lucky to have told them that I was a resident of Cotonou in Benin Republic heading for Chad; that was how I was allowed to go.
“In fact I saw so many people being killed on the spot. People were being killed as if they were plagues and not useful,” Manu said.
Sources in the area disclosed that many of the victims were people
from Maiduguri who were on their way to Damaturu and other parts of
Yobe State to make phone calls following the shutdown of GSM lines in Borno State since May .
Speaking on the incident in Maiduguri, the state capital on Wednesday, Garba Ngamdu, Special Adviser on Labour to Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima , who hails from the town, said the gunmen killed five persons in Benisheikh and set ablaze at least 100 houses and shops.
“The attack occurred in the evening of Tuesday at about 6pm, when the Boko Haram gunmen attacked our town, killing five persons and burning several houses, not less than 100 had been counted. They also attacked motorists and killed several persons of which I cannot give actual figure of casualties.
“Based on the information at hand, only five residents of the area were killed. A large chunk of the victims were motorists traveling on the highway; although we do not have a tentative figure yet,” he said.
The state police commissioner, Tanko Lawan, who confirmed the incident in Maiduguri on Wednesday, could not give much details of the incident.
“It was an unfortunate incident that happened in Benisheikh. But we are yet to get details of what happened especially on casualty figure.
We have sent a team of our men down there to ascertain what happened so that we can brief the press properly,” the police chief said.
Recounting his experience, Haliru Ismail , a commercial driver along
the road, said his vehicle was burnt and some of his passengers were
killed while others were taken away by the am gunmen.
“The gunmen who attacked us were dressed like soldiers and were carrying heavy arms.
“After they stopped us, they asked us all to come down from the bus; and then one of them hit me on the head with the butt of his gun. It was then I knew they were not soldiers and I had to fall on the ground and pretended to be unconscious. They started firing, and asking some others, including women to enter their packed vehicles. They were more than 30 in number dressed in military uniform,” he disclosed.
A motorist who escaped unhurt, Mallam Isa Manu,
said: “The militants arrived in military vans and uniforms around 6pm. They set up check points on the Damaturu-Maiduguri highway and ordered motorists to park and identify themselves.”
He said several motorists who identified themselves as Borno indigenes were shot dead on the spot while those that told them they were outsiders were left to go unharmed.
“I was lucky to have told them that I was a resident of Cotonou in Benin Republic heading for Chad; that was how I was allowed to go.
“In fact I saw so many people being killed on the spot. People were being killed as if they were plagues and not useful,” Manu said.
