Nine Soldiers, 56 Insurgents Killed As Army Repels Boko Haram's Bid To Capture Maiduguri
SAN FRANCISCO, January 25, (THEWILL) – Less than 12 hours after President Goodluck Jonathan Presidential Campaign Team left Maiduguri, defiant Boko Haram insurgents early Sunday morning, launched a deadly attack on the Borno State capital in a bid to fulfill their long-term dream of making the town the headquarters of their Islamic Caliphate.
But the combined effort of the gallant men of the Armed Forces frustrated the ambition of the insurgents in a battle that lasted more than 10 hours with the insurgents losing 56 of their gunmen and other high caliber equipment while the Armed Forces lost nine men.
Local sources told THEWILL that the heavily armed insurgents had tried to storm the Borno State capital in their hundreds through Jinikin-Moronti, on the outskirts of the Maiduguri -Damaturu road along the Jos-Kano highway, close to the 1000 and 707 housing estates.
The insurgents were said to have earlier attacked Konduga, Gubio and Monguno where they were also repelled before moving toward Maiduguri.
But they were successfully repelled by the vigilant soldiers and other security operatives at the 33 Battalion Barrack by the entrance of the town.
Other soldiers at various facilities within the town as well as members of the youth vigilante group, Civilian JTF, were soon to join the gallant soldiers in the fierce battle that raged between 12:30am and 3:330am.
According to local sources, the highly determined insurgents would not give up easily as they re-emerged with new, determined and stronger firepower that sent a strong signal to the residents of the town that a major war was ongoing as the fresh battle started around 5:40am and lasted till 11 am.
Heavy artillery shelling from both sides rocked the town with many residents stayed indoors while many could not attend the Sunday Church service as the military deployed both ground and aerial war equipment against the insurgents.
However, some residents fleeing the areas affected by the battle were killed by stray bullets from the crossfire as members of the Civilian JTF who participated in repelling the insurgents disclosed that the bodies of the nine soldiers killed in the attack were conveyed by a military patrol Hilux van from the scene of the attack to the Garrison Command along Pompomari area near the Military Anti Bomb Squad Unit around 12.30 pm.
Some Air Force surveillance jets were also seen hovering over the town to fish out some of the fleeing insurgents believed to be hiding in some private residential buildings in the town.
Narrating his experience, a Civilian JTF member, Modu Baana, said: “It was around 2 am when we were alerted of the deadly move by the terrorists to enter Maiduguri through the Jimtilo outskirts. We learnt that over 100 heavily armed men with armoured tanks and Hilux jeeps were about coming into the town.”
According to Baana, the Air Force fighter jets deployed really helped in scuttling the plans of the insurgents who were left with no option than to flee into the neighbourhood for cover after they were overwhelmed by the Armed Forces.
As the battle was going on, Baana also disclosed that many residents of the areas under siege ran into different parts of the town with many residents of the two housing estates, 707 and 1000, had to flee into the town.
Following the successful routing of the insurgents, a 24-hour curfew has been imposed on the town to enable security operatives fish out the insurgents believed to be still hiding in the town.
The spokesman of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army in Maiduguri, Colonel Sani Usman , confirmed the 24-hour curfew, advising residents of the town to remain indoors.