Soldiers ‘crush 50 insurgents’ in Damboa

The threat to the ceasefire deal between the federal government and Boko Haram continued on Sunday, as about 50 members of the sect were reportedly killed at Damboa, 87 kilometers away from Maiduguri, capital of Borno state.

Though the news of the truce brought excitement, it was however short-lived as a result of attacks carried out in two villages in Borno on Friday and Saturday.

Nine persons lost their lives during the incidents.

However, the attempt of the sect to strike again in Damboa, which is one of the flash points in Borno, was repelled by security forces, leading to the death of 50 insurgents.

Speaking with TheCable, Kassim Ciroma, the head of civilian JTF, a local vigilante outfit in the community, said soldiers overpowered the militants and captured a few of them.

Ciroma said normalcy has been restored to the area.

“Boko Haram came here yesterday but soldiers dealt with them,” he said.

“They could not escape because the soldiers were shooting them from three locations. They didn’t even know where the bullets were coming from. The soldiers just kept firing from their position.

“Some of them were even arrested and the soldiers have taken them away.”

He said most of the insurgents were from neighbouring countries such as Chad and Cameroon, commending the security forces for their effort.

“Most of them are not Nigerians. They are Chadians, Cameroonians and Nigeriens.

“Damboa is very peaceful now. We are happy and everything is normal.”

There is serious concern that some factions of the group that are opposed to the peace deal are behind the attacks.

However, talks are still going on between the federal government and representatives of the sect in Chad.

On Monday, Goodluck Jonathan, president of Nigeria had a closed-door meeting with Ali Modu Sheriff, a former governor of Borno, known to be very instrumental to the ceasefire.

Though details of the meeting were not made available to the press, it is believed that it has to do with securing the release of the female student of Government Secondary School, Chibok, who were abducted by Boko Haram on April 14.