Borno residents on the run as soldiers, Boko Haram fighters exchange fire

Residents of Molai, a village four kilometers off Maiduguri, Borno state capital, are currently on the run following a heavy gunfire between soldiers and Boko Haram fighters.

A resident told TheCable that the army has mobilised troops to the area to repel the fighters who struck 45 minutes ago.

Molai is the only village in that axis where there has been no insurgent attack in the last two months. Dalori, Konduga, Dala Shuwa, Dala Karamsu, Mammanti, Zabarmari, all surrounding villages, have been attacked recently.

There have been concerns over resurgence of Boko Haram attacks in Borno.

On Friday, insurgents invaded Gudumbali, Guzamala local government area of the state, dislodging soldiers and carting away gun trucks.

Some of the soldiers affected in the operation, the third in the last one month, are currently taking refuge at a military location in Damasak, a nearby town.

One day later, at least 12 farmers were killed during an invasion on Zabarmari community.

Speaking with TheCable on Sunday, Audu Zabarmari, a resident of the area, said: “Boko Haram jihadists have killed 7 farmers in the Zabarmari rice farm on Saturday.

“We discovered additional five dead bodies today and several other farmers are still missing.”

Audu said he could not ascertain the number of people killed as the search was still ongoing.

In what seem to be intensified attacks on farmers, the insurgents have reportedly killed not less than 40 farmers and destroyed more than 200 hectares of farmland in the last two months.

While the military said it has intensified efforts to end the attacks, Abubakar Elkanemi, shehu of Borno, recently raised the alarm over Boko Haram siege.

“Nobody can dare move out of Maiduguri by 10 kilometres without being confronted, attacked by Boko Haram,” he had said when President Muhammadu Buhari visited last month.

“Quite a number of farmers are being killed and kidnapped on a daily basis around Molai General Area, which is just 10 kilometres away from the metropolis, along Maiduguri -Damboa -Biu road.”