A fresh wave of violence hit the restive parts of Borno and Yobe states yesterday, leaving in its wake nine policemen dead and many buildings destroyed.
In a daytime attack gunmen stormed a police station in Bama, killing four policemen, while in an earlier pre-dawn attack another set of gunmen hit Gashua in neighbouring Yobe, killing five policemen.
The attack in Gashua disrupted the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) exams as candidates were to sit for the Practical Agricultural Science paper at 9am yesterday. A 21-hour curfew was later imposed on Gashua, such that residents could only come out from 1pm to 4pm daily.
Residents of Bama, 75 kilometers south of the Borno State capital Maiduguri, said security forces exchanged fire with the gunmen, triggering fires that destroyed many houses and shops.
There were fears also that many other people might have been killed in the Bama violence, just days after a similar incident in Baga reportedly left 200 people dead.
Daily Trust learnt that the attackers attempted to kill the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Bama but he was lucky to escape with bullet injuries.
Initial reports said the DPO was abducted by the gunmen, but the BBC Hausa radio spoke to a resident who said this was not true as he saw the DPO after the violence.
“What happened was some gunmen came in the morning and attacked Bama police station and killed four policemen…All the shops behind the market were also set on fire,” a resident told the BBC.
Many people fled the Kasubula area in the town where the fighting happened.
Spokesman for the Borno State police command, DSP Gideon Jibrin, could not be reached by telephone yesterday.
In Gashua, Bade Local Government Area of Yobe State, five policemen and five suspected gunmen were killed while a police station was burnt when attackers struck in the early hours of yesterday.
Daily Trust learnt that the gunmen first attacked the divisional police headquarters, which they succeeded in destroying, and then targeted the prison, police area command and mobile police base from where they were repelled.
Spokesman for the Joint Task Force Lt. Eli Lazarus said the fleeing gunmen took away one police Hilux vehicle fitted with siren, as well as another vehicle, police uniforms and other items from the police stations.
A security source told our correspondent that villagers from an area about 21 kilometers from Gashua town had earlier on Wednesday afternoon reported to security operatives that they saw three Hilux vans with armed youths heading to Gashua.
Yobe State police commissioner Sanusi A. Rufa’i, who spoke at a news conference in Damaturu yesterday, confirmed the Gashua attacks and the killing of five policemen.
“Two policemen were killed at police area command, another two at Bade police divisional headquarters, while one mobile police was killed, two injured at the mobile base all in Gashua town. A church were the gunmen took cover was also burnt by the assailants,” he said.
He said the gunmen stormed the area in large numbers with the intent to destroy many security formations but were repealed by the combined efforts of the JTF and the police.
“But we have arrested one of the gunmen Murtala Yusuf an indigene of Gaidam Local Government,” he said.
Rufa’i said three vehicles were recovered from the assailants—a Toyota Corolla, a Peugeot 406 and an Isuzu pick up van, which were carjacked recently from bank staff.
“The armed men met them in their residential home and took them to the bank were they carted away with N9.3 million, 237 US dollars and the said vehicles,” he said.
Also recovered were five police uniforms belonging to the police officers killed in Bara, Tarmowa and Gaidam.
He said the police have taken measures over the way the gunmen disguise in police uniforms to launch “surprise attacks.”
JTF spokesman Lazarus said in a statement yesterday: “At about 12 midnight Thursday 25 April 2013, unknown gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists attacked JTF location in Gashua town, the police area command and Gashua divisional police station. Men of the JTF were able to repel and contain the attack on its location. Reinforcement was however dispatched swiftly and was able to engage the terrorists.
“Two police officers were killed in the attack while five of the suspected terrorists lost their lives during the encounter. Some of the suspected terrorists escaped in two vehicles with injuries while others are believed to still be in the town.”
“Items recovered include one Toyota Corolla car, one Peugeot 406 saloon car, one Isuzu pick up van, one AK 47 rifle, one police anti-riot gun, one locally made pistol, one rocket propelled grenade (RPG) bomb, one generating set and large quantity of ammunition,” he added.
Lazarus said the public should be mindful of the fact that the insurgents were still around and may strike again.
“Let no one be in doubt however, that JTF would continue to respond appropriately to such attacks. The task force urges all law abiding citizens to remain calm as it is currently on top of the situation. A cordon and search operation is currently on going in Gashua town,” he said.
Later yesterday, a 4pm to 1pm curfew was declared in Gashua. The police commissioner, who announced the curfew, said the restriction was meant to tackle security situation in the area. A resident expressed concern with the curfew, saying by telephone: “Many people don’t have food in their stores. We go out every day to do menial jobs before feeding our families. We are appealing to all authorities concerned to consider our conditions,” the resident said.
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