#NigeriaElections2023: Voters injured as insurgents attack Borno community

Five persons sustained injuries on Saturday during an attack on a community in Gwoza LGA of Borno state.

Gwoza is located approximately 135 kilometres south-east of Maiduguri, the Borno capital.

Abdu Umar, Borno commissioner of police, confirmed the incident in an interview with NAN.

Umar said several gunshots were fired at voters from the top of the Mandara mountains.

He said the injured victims comprised two females and three males, adding that the troops of the Nigerian Army were deployed to the area.

“Efforts of the military within the area of responsibility helped in chasing the terrorists, forcing them to flee due to the superior firepower,” he said.

The state commissioner of police said normalcy has since been restored in the LGA as the voting exercise continued.

He added that the gunshot victims have been referred to a hospital for treatment.

According to Zagazola Makama, a counter-insurgency publication, the gunmen are suspected to be from the camp of Ali Ngulde — Boko Haram’s overall field commander — in Mandara mountains.

A source also told the publication that the attack disrupted the voting process for some hours as the electorate scampered for safety, which led to many of them sustaining injuries.