• Invade Adamawa villages, towns
Michael Olugbode in Maiduguri and Daji Sani in Yola
Fleeing suspected Boko Haram members on Monday besieged Lassa town, in Borno State destroying some properties and killing three persons.
This is coming as suspected members of the group have attacked villages in Madagali and Michika Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Adamawa State.
According to residents of Lassa, the members of the Boko Haram had earlier attacked Michika, where they engaged the military in a shootout.
The military was said to have had an edge, forcing the insurgents to retreat towards their enclave in Sambisa Forest.
During their retreat, they attacked Lassa in Askira-Iba LGA of Borno State, sending residents in panic, destroying some properties and killing three persons.
A resident of Lassa, Joseph Satumari, in a telephone conversation with our correspondent, said: “The Boko Haram attacked Michika but was overpowered by the military and in the process of fleeing the battleground, they fled towards Lassa as the army had blocked Uba road and Gulak. So, the only way they can take was through Lassa”.
“Because we have already heard of the attack on Michika and suspected that we (living in Lassa) could be attacked, we have fled into bushes and it was only those that were reluctant that were caught in the fire.”
He said he fled with his entire family into the bush and had to sleep alongside over 100 others.
Another resident of Lassa, Peter Ishaku told our correspondent that: “We need your prayers; Boko Haram entered Lassa last night around 8. 00 p.m; three people were killed, but we thank God the situation was calmed by the military and the vigilantes.”
The Nigerian Army in a signed statement issued yesterday by the Acting Director, Army Public Relations, Col. Sagir Musa, said Boko Haram terrorists met their waterloo and suffered heavy casualties on Monday evening when they attempted to infiltrate Michika in Adamawa State.
The statement read: “At about 7.20 p.m, gallant troops of 115 Task Force Battalion deployed at Lassa in Borno State received a distress call from vigilantes at Maikadiri village on movement of suspected Boko Haram terrorists along Road Maikadiri – Shuwari enroute Michika.
“The troops immediately organised blocking positions and swooped on the terrorists, which led to an exchange of fire. The terrorists attempted to escape, but were intercepted and suppressed with heavy volume of fire.
“Consequently, the troops with reinforcement from 143 Battalion Gulak engaged the terrorists on two-front coordinated attacks. The BHTs were completely routed by the troops, neutralising many of them, while others fled in disarray due to superior firepower.
“As a result, they hastily evacuated most of their corpses under the cover of darkness. The entire area has been dominated by own troops and the situation is completely under control. Items captured from the terrorists include one Ford vehicle, two Toyota Starlet vehicles loaded with foodstuffs, one motorcycle and one tyre inflating machine.
Further exploitation is to be conducted this (Tuesday) morning. Calm has since returned to the city and inhabitants of the town are hereby enjoined to report the presence of strange faces in their localities and go about their normal businesses.”
Meanwhile, suspected members of the Boko Haram insurgency have attacked villages in Madagali and Michika LGAs in Adamawa State.
According to the indigenes of the area, the attack was a clear indication that the insurgents have run short of foodstuff and funds in their camps as it was revealed that they bombed the safe of a commercial Bank in Michika to enable cart away funds from the bank and food items from stores and shops in the town.
Michika and Madagali were LGAs under the control of the insurgency in 2014, before the Nigerian troops liberated them from the griped of the insurgency.
Reports from the affected areas revealed that the insurgents boycotted Gulak and Shuwa towns where there were concentration of troops and went through krisshinga village to attack other villages and Michika town.
Confirming the attack, the state Commissioner of Information and Strategy, Ahmed Sajoh, said more troops have been deployed to the affected areas to quell the situation.
