Boko Haram insurgents struck Monday on a highway in Borno State, where the outlawed Islamic sect razed down two trucks loaded with oranges and a Toyota Hilux vehicle, and abducted their drivers.
Monday's attack came barely 24 hours after some suspected members of the sect ambushed motorists on Gwoza- Firgi- Ngurosoya highway within the troubled Borno State, killing five passengers, including one person who was on his way to Maiduguri to attend his brother's wedding,
The latest ambush was on the now dreaded Maiduguri-Damboa- Biu road, which has witnessed a series of highway raids resulting in the killing of several persons.
It was gathered that the attack occurred a few kilometres from Limanti/ Bullabulin Ngarwa communities where a series of deadly road attacks masterminded by Boko Haram sect had taken place in recent times.
Speaking to journalists in Maiduguri, a commercial driver who narrowly escaped being caught up in the attack, Mallam Musa Usman, said the insurgents seized the highway at about 9am.
He said some suspected members of the notorious sect where seen driving from their enclave in the Sambisa Game Forest to the highway and on getting to the highway, they barricaded the road and blocked off other vehicles.
"They set ablaze three vehicles including a truck loaded with oranges," he said.
Usman added that immediately he reached the scene, shortly after the attack, he saw the terrorists ordering the abducted drivers into their vehicles, which made him to make an immediate U-turn and made his way back to Maiduguri.
"I have to thank God for sparing my life with two of my children who I was taking to Biu for the Christmas Holiday after finishing their exams last week," he said.
He noted that he had even encountered two different security check-points before almost falling into the hands of the Boko Haram members.
"But as God would have it, I sighted an unusual happening along the road, just some a few metres to the scene, which made me to immediately put my vehicle into reverse gear, before making U-turn back to Maiduguri," he said.
A passenger, Mallam Salisu Yahaya, who came from Biu to Maiduguri shortly after the insurgents had left the scene of the attack, told journalists that he saw three vehicles, including a truck loaded with bags of oranges, being consumed by fire, while none of the owners were present at the scene.
Yahaya said: "When we reached the place, we discovered that three vehicles were set ablaze by suspected hoodlums, but nobody was there. When our driver manoeuvred his way to pass through the road, we couldn't see anyone there nor any firefighter; and after passing the scene, our driver stopped at a small village near the place of the attack to find out from the villagers whether the road was safe. But we were told that some Boko Haram terrorists from Sambisa forests this morning (yesterday) barricaded the road in a nearby bush unleashing terror on motorists."
The spokesman of the 7 Division, Nigerian Army, Colonel Mohammed Dole, who confirmed the incident, declined further comments, adding that details of the attack are still sketchy.
Monday's attack came barely 24 hours after some suspected members of the sect ambushed motorists on Gwoza- Firgi- Ngurosoya highway within the troubled Borno State, killing five passengers, including one person who was on his way to Maiduguri to attend his brother's wedding,
The latest ambush was on the now dreaded Maiduguri-Damboa- Biu road, which has witnessed a series of highway raids resulting in the killing of several persons.
It was gathered that the attack occurred a few kilometres from Limanti/ Bullabulin Ngarwa communities where a series of deadly road attacks masterminded by Boko Haram sect had taken place in recent times.
Speaking to journalists in Maiduguri, a commercial driver who narrowly escaped being caught up in the attack, Mallam Musa Usman, said the insurgents seized the highway at about 9am.
He said some suspected members of the notorious sect where seen driving from their enclave in the Sambisa Game Forest to the highway and on getting to the highway, they barricaded the road and blocked off other vehicles.
"They set ablaze three vehicles including a truck loaded with oranges," he said.
Usman added that immediately he reached the scene, shortly after the attack, he saw the terrorists ordering the abducted drivers into their vehicles, which made him to make an immediate U-turn and made his way back to Maiduguri.
"I have to thank God for sparing my life with two of my children who I was taking to Biu for the Christmas Holiday after finishing their exams last week," he said.
He noted that he had even encountered two different security check-points before almost falling into the hands of the Boko Haram members.
"But as God would have it, I sighted an unusual happening along the road, just some a few metres to the scene, which made me to immediately put my vehicle into reverse gear, before making U-turn back to Maiduguri," he said.
A passenger, Mallam Salisu Yahaya, who came from Biu to Maiduguri shortly after the insurgents had left the scene of the attack, told journalists that he saw three vehicles, including a truck loaded with bags of oranges, being consumed by fire, while none of the owners were present at the scene.
Yahaya said: "When we reached the place, we discovered that three vehicles were set ablaze by suspected hoodlums, but nobody was there. When our driver manoeuvred his way to pass through the road, we couldn't see anyone there nor any firefighter; and after passing the scene, our driver stopped at a small village near the place of the attack to find out from the villagers whether the road was safe. But we were told that some Boko Haram terrorists from Sambisa forests this morning (yesterday) barricaded the road in a nearby bush unleashing terror on motorists."
The spokesman of the 7 Division, Nigerian Army, Colonel Mohammed Dole, who confirmed the incident, declined further comments, adding that details of the attack are still sketchy.
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