Boko Haram Attacks Borno, Adamawa Border Town, Askira

Boko Haram fighters

Terrorist group, Boko Haram, has attacked another town, Askira, in Borno State, some fleeing residents of the town told journalists in Maiduguri on Tuesday.

According to one of them, Adamu Musa, who fled to Maiduguri, the insurgents attacked the town in a convoy of Toyota Hilux vehicles and motorcycles at 3:35 p.m. on Monday.

He said the hoodlums, who were armed with Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and petrol-bombs, torched several public buildings, including a secondary school, Divisional Police Station and telecoms mast.

Inuwa, who arrived Maiduguri in his pickup van with some other passengers, said: “As we were about to depart the motor park yesterday afternoon, we saw some insurgents chanting God is great in Arabic.

They moved to burn down a school in the town to ashes. They did not stop there as they proceeded to the police station and a health centre and threw IEDs at the buildings.”

The residents of the town, who were shocked, according to him; “fled from the streets and market running for safety.”

Inuwa said their vehicles were mounted with Rapid Propelled Grenades (RPGs) as they shot sporadically and chanted Allahu Akbaru (God is great, in Arabic).
He narrated that he had to flee along with six passengers in the taxi to Maiduguri through Mbalala and Chibok road.

On casualties figure, he said: “I cannot give you the number of casualties on civilians and security personnel, but we saw some bodies on the road, while we were fleeing towards Mbalala.”

Askira is predominantly a farming community bordering Adamawa State, and 252 kilometres south of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, the birthplace of the Boko Haram insurgency.

A police source told THISDAY that there was a report of insurgents’ attacks on one of the towns in Southern Borno senatorial district.

He said, “I cannot give you the casualty figures, but some public buildings were burnt, including our station in Askira town, 60 kilometres west of Uba near Mubi town in Adamawa State.”