16 killed in fresh BokoHaram attacks on Maiduguri

Firstclass newsline learnt that sixteen persons were killed during an
attempt by Boko Haram insurgents to invade Maiduguri, the Borno State
capital, on Friday night.
Seventeen persons were injured in the attack that left many houses
destroyed. The attack occurred a few hours after the inauguration of
President Muhammadu Buhari in Abuja on Friday.
An online source also reported that a bomb exploded Saturday afternoon
near Maiduguri's main market, after the city was attacked before dawn
by the insurgents using rocket-propelled grenades that killed at least
13 people. The explosion, it was gathered, occurred by the mosque near
a market in the town.firstclass newsline learnt that one of the
insurgents joined the worshippers pretending to be one of them. The
insurgent later detonated the bomb which killed some of the
worshippers and injured many others.
In a swift reaction, Buhari, on Saturday condemned the latest attacks
on the town.
In a statement issued by the head of his media team, Garba Shehu, the
President warned that his administration would not tolerate wanton and
willful destruction of lives by criminal elements bent on anarchy.
He stated that his administration meant business in its determination
to tackle terrorism with all the resources available to his
government.
Describing terrorists as cowardly murderers that target innocent
people, Buhari declared that as the Commander-in-Chief, he had sworn
to protect the security of Nigerians everywhere.
The President while calling for increased vigilance by local
communities, assured that his administration would give security close
attention, pledging that his government was committed to boosting the
morale of the armed forces by effectively funding them and attending
to their welfare.
He condoled with the families of the victims of the latest terrorist
attacks on the town and assured them that the worst days of the
criminal elements would soon be over.
Firstclass newsline learnt that the residents of the town were woken
from their sleep as sounds of heavy gunshots and explosions rocked the
town.
A member of the youth vigilance group, who spoke on the condition of
anonymity to a source on the phone, said that the insurgents tried to
invade the town at about 12:50am on Saturday from Ajilari Cross and
Bintu Sugar axis of the town.
He said the military were able to discover them on time and repelled
them before they could further approach the town.
According to him, the engagement lasted for about two hours between
12:50am and 2:50am.
He added, "The insurgents were successfully repelled after heavy
gunshots and explosions. They fled back into the dark towards the
direction they came."
He, however, said he could not ascertain the number of the casualties.
A resident of Gomari in the town which is in the same neighbourhood
with Bintu Sugar, Abdul Idi, said five residents of the area were
killed in the attack.
Idi said a stray bullet killed a man who slept outside in the open to
get fresh air.
He also stated that four people were killed in a house affected by the
explosion in the area.
According to Idi, eight other people died of stray bullets and
explosives in some areas in the town.
Meanwhile, a security source who spoke with a source on the condition
of anonymity on Saturday, said the insurgents fired rocket-propelled
grenades and detonated bombs in the town.
The source said that the fighter pilots of the Nigerian Air Force were
deployed to bomb the insurgents and were able to dismantle them for
ground troops to take over the area.
It was further gathered that several of the residents of the Airport
Road axis of Maiduguri fled their communities in fear for safer places
in the metropolis.
The source stated further that the troops were in control of the area
and were intensifying a cordon and search operation designed to fish
out and arrest the fleeing insurgents.
The source said, ''Fighter jets were deployed to scatter them for
ground troops to move in to take control of the area. As for casualty,
I cannot give you any figure because the insurgents fired at buildings
and killed some people; the military also got some of them."
All efforts to get across to the Director, Defence Information, Maj.
Gen. Chris Olukolade, to comment on the development were futile as
calls to his mobile phone did not connect.
Also, Olukolade had not responded to a text message sent to his phone
as of the time of filing this report.
Firstclassnewsline.net