Bloody Day For Boko Haram As Security Operatives Kill Over 100 Gunmen In Maiduguri

SAN FRANCISCO, March 14, (THEWILL) - The Nigerian security forces chalked a major victory in the ongoing anti-terror war on Friday as they killed over 100 Boko Haram gunmen from the notorious Sambisa Game Reserves who attacked the 21 Armoured Brigade (Giwa Barrack) within the Maiduguri GRA in the Borno State capital.

The attack, which started at about 7:30am , shook the entire town as the gunmen never bargained for what they got in their attempt to free one of their members who was reportedly detained at the barrack.

Loud sounds of gunshots and explosions rocked the town as military jet fighters from Yola, the Adamawa State capital were deployed to bombard the fleeing gunmen from the air.

Residents of the areas mostly hit by the attack were left with no choice than to flee to more secured areas, with some taking refuge at the Government House.

Repelling the gunmen in a counter-attack, the military embarked on both land and air bombardment as they pursued the gunmen to the path leading to Sambisa where they were believed to have come from.

Some of the residents of the town, who spoke to journalists on condition of anonymity, said over 20 corpses were seen lying on the road leading to Giwa barrack.

Residents of Polo Area of the town, said 30 corpses believed to be members of Boko Haram were dumped in the area by the military at about 11 am after the over two-hour shoot-out.

Security sources said the insurgents initially made some progress as they gained entrance into some parts of the barrack and even freed some of their detained colleagues.

They were however overwhelmed by the firepower of the military who deployed both land and air raids to counter the insurgents.

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"When the heat was too much for them (insurgents) they started fleeing and many of them were killed in the process.

"I must be sincere with you, we were able to kill over 100 and re-arrest some of the detained insurgents earlier freed by their men," some of them said.

In the bid to escape, some of the insurgents were said to have fled into the Capital International School where they forced the students to give up their uniforms for them to disguise in.

Sources said they were subsequently caught and handed over to the military as they looked strange in their disguise.

Students of the University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) also confirmed that the insurgents attack the institution.

Though some of the students disclosed that seven bomb blasts occurred within the school leading to the destruction of one of the Education Trust Fund (ETF) buildings and injuries to some of the students, the spokesman of the institution, Mohammed Ahmed said there was no attack on the campus.

He said the students who made the call to journalists may have acted based on fear and not fact.

According to him, anyone who heard the explosions or gunshots would have thought it was happening at his backyard based on the massive sound of the attacks.

Many of the fleeing gunmen were said to have been arrested in the GRA and Polo areas of the town by the Civilian JTF vigilante members.

Meanwhile, a 24-hour curfew has been imposed on Maiduguri .

A statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government, Ambassador Baba Ahmed Jidda, while announcing the curfew, advised residents of the town to remain indoor to allow the military and security personnel restore normalcy.