Boko Haram convoy causes panic in Borno

A convoy of Sport Utility Vehicles (SUV) and mo­torcycles with armed men suspected to be Boko Haram has caused panic in a town located in the central part of Borno, a security source said.

A gang of wild-looking men in some vehicles paint­ed in military colour and motorcycles chanting Allah Akbar ! (Allah is great) was reportedly sighted by resi­dents of Dikwa, headquarters of Dikwa Local Government Area on Thursday, forcing many residents to flee into the bush.

“Reports indicated that there was commotion every­where as people fled into the bush until the men stopped and told some people they didn’t come for them but for security troops,” a police source that is not authorised to speak said.

Speculation was rife in the state that the Emir of Dikwa, Alhaji Muhammad Masta El- Kanemi may have also fled the town amidst the confusion and panic of pos­sible attack by the terrorists. A source however claimed he was sighted in Maiduguri, the state capital yesterday, adding that he may have ar­rived the capital same yes­terday and didn’t flee his domain as rumoured.

Residents said the insur­gents headed to Marte, north of Borno, once a Boko Ha­ram stronghold, where they unleash violence on villagers in the area but this cannot be verified as at press time due to destruction and break­down of telecommunication facilities in the area. The se­rene Dikwa town is about 80 kilomeetres from Maiduguri and is located along Gum­boru/Ngala road, which has been taken over by the insur­gents since August 24. Marte is on the Nigerian border around the Lake Chad.