Military ‘deploys troops to community raided by insurgents’

The defence headquarters says it has deployed ground forces and air force helicopter gunships to Gumsuri, a community in Borno state, where 32 people were killed and about 185 women and children abducted.

Suspected insurgents reportedly took hostage of vulnerable women and children after overpowering members of the local vigilante outfit known as civilian JTF, on Sunday.

They were said to have also set many houses in the community ablaze.

Chris Olukolade, the director of defence information, said though the military has been able to establish the fact that some people were killed, the report of the abduction is yet to be verified.

Olukolade alleged that security forces had restored normalcy to the area, adding that some of the villagers, who fled as a result of the violence have started returning to their homes.

“Troops are patrolling the general area of Gumsiri in search of terrorists who were said to have attacked the community last weekend,” he said in a statement.

“Although it has been confirmed that some people were killed by the terrorists during the attack, the reported abduction, as claimed by unidentified sources being quoted in some foreign media, is yet to be verified from any credible sources in the community.

“Some of the villagers, who fled during the attack, have started returning to the village. Normal life has also returned to the area.

“The surveillance and patrols of the area by air and land forces have been stepped up to secure the general area.”

Despite the effort of government to curb the excesses of Boko Haram, the sect has continued to attack several communities, particularly in the northeast.