Borno commissioner: How Boko Haram attacked Zulum’s convoy with donkey

Kaka Lawan, Borno commissioner for justice, has narrated how Boko Haram insurgents attacked the convoy of Babagana Zulum, the state governor.

Lawan said the governor was first attacked with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) planted on his convoy’s route, and on the second occasion with a donkey laden with IEDs.

Zulum has been attacked by suspected Boko Haram insurgents on two occasions in the past few days.

The insurgents first attacked his convoy and other vehicles conveying government officials on Friday, killing about 30 persons.

Barely 48 hours after, on Sunday, they ambushed the governor’s convoy again while he was departing Baga town in Kukawa local government area.

In an interview with BBC Hausa, Lawan, who was part of the governor’s delegation during the two attacks, said the insurgents detonated three IEDs when the governor was heading to Baga from Monguno in Monguno local government area.

“We were on our way from Monguno to Baga when terrorists detonated improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at three different locations. All the bombs went off at the same time,” the commissioner was quoted as saying.

“Then they followed us with a shot. It took more than 20 minutes for the shots to be fired before the terrorists withdrew,” he said.

While returning from Baga, the commissioner said the insurgents planted IEDs on a donkey on the road and loaded it with water — like a cannon.

“They (the insurgents) were hiding in the back. It was a soldier in the car who picked up the donkey with the gun. Then the bomb went off, and then these bad guys started firing with guns,” he recounted.

The latest ambush on Zulum, who has been vocal about the decade-long insurgency since he became governor, makes it the third time in two months the insurgents have attacked him.

However, when he was first attacked in July, the governor claimed his attackers were soldiers and not Boko Haram members, but the Nigerian army denied this.