Suspected Boko Haram gunmen on Monday invaded Kukawa town, the headquarters of Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State, setting ablaze the Kukawa police station, government lodge and other public buildings in the town and over 250 vehicles.
The insurgents, according to a resident of Kukawa, Mallam Abor Kanembu, invaded the town in several Hilux vehicles and motorcycles and headed straight for the police station where they started shooting sporadically targeting residents, with the help of Rocket Propelled Grenade launchers and AK47 rifles.
He said “the insurgents burnt down the Kukawa Divisional Police station and some public buildings in the town. I cannot tell the casualty figure because we had to flee the town in fear of our lives”.
Confirming the attack, another resident of the town, Mohammed Mafindi, said they had to flee the town due to the attack as the insurgents killed three civilians and burnt down many houses and other public buildings including clinic and vehicles of an unnamed company exploring oil in the Chad Basin area.
Mafindi said the attack took place between 4:00 am and 10 am on Monday while the gunmen only left after they had killed many people and torched houses and vehicles.
“The attack was a reprisal to an attack earlier attempted by the men of the Nigerian police Force, who were on routine patrol in the area in which they opened fire on the insurgents.
“The insurgents immediately responded by killing two policemen, and abducted two others while two policemen escaped into the bush”, Mafindi stated.
Confirming the incident, the caretaker chairman of Kukawa local government, Alhaji Modu Musa, said the insurgents invaded the town killing many people, and burnt down several houses as well as over 300 vehicles.
