Standup9ja: B/Haram attacks Maiduguri, burn houses

Standup9ja: B/Haram attacks Maiduguri, burn houses

Boko Haram insurgents yesterday stormed parts of the embattled city of Maiduguri, shooting sporadically and setting houses ablaze.

The attack came ahead of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo’s scheduled visit today to launch the distribution of grains in Maiduguri. Eye witnesses said the insurgents, attacking through Damboa Road, sacked Aridawari, Jiddari, Polo wards, NNPC quarters/depot, Damboa Road and Molai, firing, at a point, an improvised rocket launcher.

With the sporadic shootings and their houses torched, thousands fled towards Post Office at the city centre and Baga Road.  In the ensuing stampede, no fleeing eye witness could give account of any death, but Daily Trust’s photographer and reporter, Olatunji Omirin, who called from the specialist hospital to report that they had taken his neighbour’s daughter hit by the insurgents bullet, said, as at the time he called, two females and one male had been rushed to the hospital with bullet wounds.

All residents of the surrounding villages around the metropolis along Damboa Road also fled apparently to avoid being mistakenly bombed by a hovering military plane immediately deployed there to crush the attack.

“People are running. They are confused. They don’t know what to do,” a fleeing victim posted on WhatsApp page.

A terse statement by the Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, posted on WhatsApp page read, “Please everyone should calm down, and remain indoors. The police and the military have mobilized enough reinforcements to the scene. Details follow later.”

But another statement read, “Boko Haram gunmen have attacked Jiddari Polo community in Maiduguri, the Borno State capital in North-East Nigeria. Residents have fled their homes and taken refuge in neighbouring communities, following the attack on their community on Wednesday. Army troops have repelled the attack and there is heavy security presence in Jiddari Polo. The spokesman for the Nigerian Army, Brigadier-General Sani Usman asked residents of the community not to panic as the situation is under control.”

Yet another statement said, “Report just coming in indicates that the attack on the outskirts of Maiduguri by suspected Boko Haram terrorists was followed by three suicide bombers at Usmanti Muna garage area. Casualty figure yet to be confirmed. Three suicide bombers attack Chad Basin Development Authority quarters.”