Army Repels Fresh Boko Haram Attack On Maiduguri

BEVERLY HILLS, October 04, (THEWILL) – The military Sunday repelled yet another terrorists' advance towards Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

A security source craving anonymity said the military had to fire several warning shots Sunday morning to repel the insurgents who were moving towards the state capital.

The source said a security report had indicated that the insurgents had concluded plans to blow up the Alo Dam, which provides most of the water to the taps in Maiduguri.

“Boko Haram tried to destroy Alo Dam so the Army shelled them and they retreated back,” he disclosed.

Residents of the troubled town had been thrown into panic following several gunshots and sounds of explosions from the outskirts of the town which fuelled fresh fears of another terrorists attack.

The explosions were heard from  Kayamla and Dalori villages, about 20 kilometers from Maiduguri along the Konduga/Bama axis which borders the Sambisa Forest .

“The sound of bomb explosions is being heard from Kayamla and Dalori between 7 and 7:30 am today (Sunday). We are not sure whether the terrorists are planning to invade the town.We were visibly shaken and some of us started leaving the estate into Maiduguri town in order not to be caught unawares,” a resident of Dalori Housing Estate, Idris Abubakar, said.  

 However, the Deputy Director, Army Information and spokesman of the 7 Division of the Nigerian Army Maiduguri, Col. Tukur Gusau, said that there was no attack on the town and that the explosions came from routine testing of weapons by the army.

“It is a routine test-firing of our weapons to ensure they are in a state of readiness,” he said.