Musdapha Ilo, Maiduguri

A “massive” attack was staged by members of the banned terrorist group, Boko Haram on Friday in Bama, Borno state whivc left several persons dead.

An exact figure of the casualty cannot be ascertained at the moment but the military said several members of the deadly sect were killed in the attack targeted at one of the army barracks in the state.

Eyewitnesses who spoke with our correspondent expressed fears that some innocent civilians may have also been caught in the crossfire in which Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs. and petrol-bombs were freely used.

The attackers were said to have tried to gain entrance into the barrack through the Cameroonian border road of Gulumba, but the army soon got wind of the plan and in a repel attack killed some members of the sect..

Confirming the incident Friday in Maiduguri, the acting spokesman of 7 Division of Nigerian Army, Aliyu Danja, a Captain, said there was an attempted attack on a barrack in Bama, which was made by suspected Boko Haram terror suspects, but they were repelled and crushed.

“The soldiers were able to kill several members of the Islamist sect,” he said.

Danja said several arms and vehicles used by members of the sect in the attack were destroyed, adding that details on the number of casualty will be made available to journalists when the troops return from the fields.

Also confirming the attack, the director, Defence Information, Chris Olukolade, a Major-General, said Bama barracks was attacked by terrorists who came from cells located across Nigerian Border with Cameroun through Banki town.

“High caliber weapons such as anti-aircraft and rocket propelled guns were freely used in the attack that lasted several hours,” he said.

According to the statement, ground troops backed by the Air Force repelled the attack and are in pursuit of the insurgents, even as reinforcement has been dispatched to enhance the operation.

“Details of casualties recorded in the incident will be released when the ongoing cordon and search operations in the general area is concluded,” he added.

Normalcy is being been restored in the barracks and the surrounding communities have been properly secured.

Bama, which is about 65km from Maiduguri the state capital has witnessed some of the fiercest attacks launched by terrorists in the state, forcing residents to flee to neighbouring towns for safety, leaving it deserted.