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Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
Two Borno towns are now in ruins aftermath of Boko Haram raids which lasted for about four hours.
Magumeri and Gubio located in the northern part of Borno were attacked simultenously by Boko Haram insurgents on Wednesday night. Sources said the attack which started at about 6pm lasted till the early hours of Thursday in the two towns.
Both Gubio, about 85 kilometres and Magumeri, 46 kilometres to Maiduguri have been cut off from telephone services since 2015 following sustained Boko Haram insurgents in the area.
Security sources said the insurgents burnt down the local government secretariats and government lodges in the two local government headquarters. Also two public schools, security post among others. Houses were set ablaze too.
The caretaker chairman of Gubio Local Government, Zanna Gubio confirmed the attack but said he was in Maiduguri to attend an official function when the incident occurred.
Some residents of Magumeri who fled to the outskirts of Maiduguri claimed soldiers have withdrawn from the area before Boko Haram struck.
“We don’t know why soldiers have withdrawn from their locations. From Tugunshe down, soldiers have pulled out. We don’t know what is happening,” Malum Zanna told Daily Sun.
He claimed troops were not in the two towns when Boko Haram attacked. Abba Mohammed, a Maiduguri resident from Magumeri also corroborated Zanna’s claim.
Some residents said the insurgents seized the two towns after the raid but left without a trace.
The ISWA group of the terror group which has claimed responsibility for most of the attacks in the area was believed to have carried out the attacks.
