…Unspecified Number Of Motorists, Passengers Feared Dead After Stepping On Planted IEDs Along Maiduguri-Damboa-Chibok Road
…Terrorists Set Houses Ablaze
By Inusa Ndahi, Maiduguri
At least, three people were confirmed dead when suspected members of Boko Haram terrorists invaded Njilang village in Whuntafu ward of Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State.
Sources and the Executive Chairman of the council area, Hon Umar Ibrahim, exclusively confirmed this to CompassNG correspondent in Maiduguri on Monday evening.
This is even as unconfirmed report indicated that scores of motorists and passengers plying the recently re-opened Maiduguri-Damboa- Chibok-Askira/Uba road were killed, while scores sustained various degrees of injuries, after the trucks conveying them with foodstuff stepped on planted Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs, by suspected terrorists, exploded and wrecked havoc on same Monday afternoon.
Recall that the road, closed down for many years due to activities of insurgents, was re-opened recently, after which the Theatre Commander, Operation Hadin Kai, OPHK, North East, Major-General Christopher Musa, who is doing wonderfully well in degrading the insurgents in the region, severally appealed to the present administration to fix the dilapidated portions of the re-opened road, where terrorists took advantage of planting IEDs.
This is in addition to strong promises made by the Chairman of the Committee for Reopening and Ensure Safety, RES, Saina Buba, on the troubled road.
The chairman of RES, who also doubles as the Borno State Commissioner for Sports and Youths Development, who appointed by Governor Bababgana Zulum, had on several occasions assured that the road was smooth and secured.
Meanwhile, sources and residents told our correspondent that the armed insurgents invaded Njilang at about 2:34am on Monday; and opened fire sporadically at fleeing residents, killing three people, and looted shops, before setting ablaze residential houses without confrontation.
Similarly, a passenger, Abubakar Usman, who survived the EIDs explosion, said, “The insurgents targeted some trucks conveying foodstuff and off-loaders, which they succeeded in their mission.”
The chairman of Chibok Local Government Area, Hon Ibrahim, said that he is yet to get the full details of the attacks.
He said, “Yes, I recieved a distress call today that one of my communities, Njilang, was attacked by armed terrorists.
“Though details were still sketchy, some callers informed me that three people were killed, with destruction of infrastructures; while other versions revealed that more than four people were killed in the unfortunate incident.
“As for the Maiduguri-Damboa-Chibok road IEDs incident, I also heard it from some other people, including yourself, but couldn’t ascertain the number of victims, or where exactly it happened.”
All efforts to get confirmation from the state Police Public Relations Officer, Sani Shatambaya, proved abortive as at press time.
