Boko Hara terrorist attacks have continued to resurge in Borno State, with the latest claiming the lives of 20 persons in two separate incidents in the last two days.
In a daring attack reminiscent of a time when the sect put fear in the minds of even security men, the insurgents on Wednesday attacked the police station, the local government secretariat as well as the market at Gajiram in Nganzi local government area
Heavily armed Boko Haram members stormed the town around 10.00 am and laid siege to it for over four hours, eye witnesses said, killing 15 persons and injuring many others.
Many residents are said to have fled the town, many running into the bush and refusing to return since the attack.
In another operation on Thursday morning, the insurgents attacked Ngaura, in Konduga local government area, killing five persons.
The Borno State governor, Kashim Shettima, who was away in Abuja, the federal capital when the incidents occurred, is said to have dispatched the attorney general and commissioner for justice, Kaka Shehu Lawan to Gajiram and Ngaura to commiserate with the people.
The spokesman of the military Joint Task Force, JTF, Sagir Musa, said he did not have any information on the attack yet at the time of filing this report.
The Boko Haram and Ansaru sects were outlawed on June 4 by President Goodluck Jonathan who also declared a state of emergency in Adamawa, Borno and Yobe states.
A major clampdown by the military to dislodge the insurgents from their camps and hideouts had been touted as a huge success, with many of the sect members reportedly killed or fleeing into neighboring countries.
However, leader of the Boko Haram sect, in a recently released video, refuted claims that members of the sect had been defeated, saying that the Nigerian government did not have the capacity to deal with it.
“You soldiers have claimed that you are powerful, that we have been defeated, that we are mad people; but how can a mad man successfully coordinate recent attacks in Gamboru, inMalumfatori, slaughter people in Biu, and kill in Gwoza and in Bama where soldiers fled under our heavy fire power. We have killed countless soldiers and we are going to kill more. Our strength and firepower has surpassed that of Nigeria. Nigeria is no longer a big deal as far as we are concerned. We can now comfortably confront the United States of America,” Shekauboasted.