The police in Borno State have said eight policemen and three Civilian Joint Task Force (JTF) personnel were killed while 13 others sustained injuries as a result of an ambush on Friday by Boko Haram/ISWAP militants.
The police spokesman at the state Command, DSP Edet Okon, made this claim in Maiduguri on Saturday.
30 killed as ISWAP ambushes Borno officials
ISWAP terror group ambushes state officials in Borno, injures many
“On 25th September, 2020 at about 12PM, the security convoy, who were heading to Baga in respect of Government’s effort to relocate indigenes of Baga to their ancestral home, came under heavy gun attack by armed men suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists a few Kilometers from Cross Kauwa.
“The security convoy returned fire and successfully repelled the attack,” the spokesman said, explaining that: “In the ensuing gun fight, however, casualties were recorded on both sides.
“Unfortunately, eight Policemen and three members of the Civilian Joint Task Force paid the supreme price.
“Thirteen other persons sustained various degrees of injuries and were rushed to Hospital for treatment,” he said.
DSP Okon also quoted the Commissioner of Police, CP Bello Makwashi, as assuring that the Nigeria Police Force was determined to carry out its constitutional mandate of protecting lives and property and will not relent in providing the needed security for the good citizens of the State at all times.
- 30 people killed – sources
Daily Trust had reported that 30 people, including 17 security personnel on the convoy of the Borno State government officials, were killed along Monguno/Baga axis in Borno State.
A security source said the details from the ambush were alarming.
“A total of 12 policemen have been confirmed dead, five soldiers equally lost their lives, 13 civilians including four members of the civilian JTF were killed and the terrorists seized one APC police armoured car, one gun truck belonging to the military and six utility vehicles belonging to the state government,” a security source said.
It was gathered from security sources that a faction of ISWAP fighters was behind the attack.
“It was repelled accordingly but we suspect ISWAP is behind the attack,” a source said.
Another source said the attack took place some kilometers from the Multinational Joint Task Force headquarters in Baga, although the injured persons have been evacuated from the scene to the Monguno General Hospital.
Borno State Governor, Babagana Zulum, who was expected to supervise the arrival of the IDPs at Baga, had left Maiduguri earlier in the day via a military helicopter.
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