Boko Haram kills three, sets police station ablaze in Borno

MAIDUGURI— Gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram terrorists 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.

A resident of the town, Mallam Abor Kanembu said the insurgents stormed the town in several Hilux vehicles and motorcycles and moved straight to the police station and started shooting sporadically targeting residents, using Rocket Propelled 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.”

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 Kukawa police station, government lodge many houses and other public buildings including clinic and vehicles of the company exploring oil in the Chad Basin area.

He said the incident occurred between 4:00 am and 10 am on Monday while the gunmen fled the town after killing a lot of people and burnt over 200 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 area Alhaji Modu Musa said the insurgents invaded the town killing many people, and burnt down several houses as well as over 300 vehicles.