Boko Haram Retakes Marte, Deploys Hundreds Of Female Suicide Bombers For New Attacks On Maiduguri

SAN FRANCISCO, May 15, (THEWILL) –Rampaging Boko Haram gunmen Friday re-occupied Marte, a town on the northern fringes of Borno State, where they were dislodged by the military a couple of months ago.

This came as indications emerged that no fewer than 600 female suicide bombers have been deployed by the insurgents in their renewed bid to capture Maiduguri, the state capital.

Impeccable security sources said fleeing Boko Haram gunmen recently sacked from their strongholds in Sambisa Forest have now regrouped in Marte for fresh attacks.

Confirming the new development the state deputy governor, Alhaji Zannah Mustapha, told journalists in Maiduguri that “It is sad as we have been made to understand that Marte is today (Friday) completely fallen under the control of the insurgents, which to us is a very huge setback.”

He also confirmed the fears that the insurgents have deployed 600 female bombers to unleash fresh terror attacks on Maiduguri.

“It is unfortunate that we are experiencing yet another attack in Maiduguri at this time that we are thinking that the insurgency should have subsided following the taking over of Sambisa forest by the military .

“Our thinking was that every other place should have been blocked so that the insurgency would be curtailed to a restricted area. But that has not been the case, because the insurgents have been fleeing to other communities.

“Initially we were opposed to the suggestion made by the military; but when we received a security report that about 600 women have been kitted as suicide bombers and are to be sneaked into Maiduguri during the attack, couple with the gory pictures of some of the women who detonated themselves during the attack, we had no option than to okay the curfew.

“But the curfew has been relaxed from noon to about 5pm to ease the hardship and afterwards it may be reviewed. Our government is going to do everything humanly possible by supporting the military to see that Maiduguri and other secured part of Borno state is not attacked or taken over by the insurgents.

“We want people to be patient with the government and the security; though 90 percent of our communities have been liberated but the war is not over yet. We though all is over, as we were even trying to fight for the reopening of the airport which was almost okayed by the national security adviser before we heard about the attack on Maiduguri. It was indeed a huge set back for us in Borno state.

“This capture of Marte happened as soldiers sustained the 24 hours curfew imposed on Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, on Thursday after Boko Haram terrorists attempted an invasion of the city on Wednesday night,” he said.