By Musdapha Ilo, Maiguguri

The extremist sect, Boko Haram, Wednesday launched another attack on Baga, making it the second attack on the North-Eastern town in less than a week.

More than 10,000 residents are believed to have fled the besieged town just as some media reports indicate that more than 2,000 persons have been killed by insurgents.

Fleeing residents confirmed that the entire town has been devastated as many houses have been burnt while corpses litter the streets, filling the air with a strong stench of rotten flesh.

Speaking with journalists in Maiduguri yesterday, a member of the youth vigilante group told journalists in Maiduguri that the terrorists returned to Baga for the second time in five days and burnt down several hoses while also killing anyone in sight.

The British Broadcasting Corporation, BBC, has reported receiving information from a senior government official who identified himself as Musa Alhaji Bukar that Boko Haram fighters burnt down almost the entire town after over-running a military base on Saturday.

According to the BBC, Bukar expressed fears that as many as 2,000 people had been killed in the attacks on Baga.

Reports also indicated that the attack continued on Thursday with the insurgents setting up checkpoints and killing people who were hiding in the bush.

Earlier on Monday, Maina Maaji Lawan, a senator representing Borno North, had stated that Boko Haram controlled 70% of Borno State, calling for government troops to stop dilly-dallying and rise up in a concerted effort to fight back the insurgents.

His call followed Boko Haram’s Saturday’s attack of Baga in which the insurgents overran the military base in the town, routing troops of multinational task force stationed there before proceeding to attack the civilian population in the town.

According to Lawan, some 10, 0000 people had fled to Chad since Saturday to escape the violence. His assertion raises fears of a humanitarian crisis.

The lawmaker also stated that a large number reportedly drowned as they crossed Lake Chad while other residents have fled to Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, in buses provided by the government.