Dozens have been feared dead in a fresh attack on Shani, a town in the southern part of Borno State, during a by members of the Boko Haram sect on Saturday night. Shani is about 260 kilometres from Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.
According to Thisday, some fleeing residents spoke to journalists on phone, saying over 30 armed Boko Haram fighters on motorcycles stormed Shani on Saturday night. They were said to have thrown bombs at houses.
“The terrorists came at about 8pm and started shooting at everything in sight. The gunshots were deafening and kept approaching my house that I had to run into the bush with my grow up children,” One of the fleeing residents, Elijah Ibrahim was quoted as saying.
“I had to however leave my wife and my little children with her believing they would do them no harm, I slept in the bush with two grown ones and without going back into the town proceeded to Biu this morning,” he explained.
The resident also claimed that the insurgents set houses on fire to force residents out.
A military source in Biu confirmed the attack to Thisday. According to the source, the insurgents burnt down a police station and other public buildings. A telecoms mast was also said to have been destroyed.
The attack on Shani is the third this year. The most recent one was in June, when at least 11 people were killed and the office of the electoral commission razed.
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