Fears gripped residents of Maiduguri yesterday as heavy shooting by military troops was heard emanating from the city suburb in the early hours of the day. Residents said they heard the sound of heavy weapons about 5.30am, which lasted till mid-day. Not many were sure of what was happening, Sunday Sun learnt.
Malam Ismaila Mohammad, a resident said the sound was heard at the outskirts of the city around Gubio-Monguno road, north of Maiduguri. “I heard the first sound. I initially thought it was an explosion, but another one followed few minutes later. It continued till about 11.30am,” he told Sunday Sun. He said most residents around his residence were scared after the speculation about a planned Boko Haram attack became rife in the city. Most residents stayed indoors until noon yesterday, saying they had to observe the situation and be sure of what was actually happening.
A security source told Sunday Sun the military was firing into a Boko Haram hideout following discovery that insurgents may be advancing toward the city. The source said intelligence report indicated the insurgents were planning an onslaught on the city for the fourth time.
Attempt by the insurgents to capture the city last Sunday was repelled by the military and youth vigilantes, during which scores of Boko Haram fighters were killed. The insurgents had on December 2, 2013 attacked the 33 Artillery and an Air Force Base nearly 10 months after a daring attack on another military barracks in the city.
Meanwhile, Chadian military troops were said to be advancing to take over Gamboru/ Ngala from Boko Haram. The town which is situated at Nigeria-Cameroon border in the central part of Borno was captured by Boko Haram in 2014.
The Chadian soldiers working under the Multi-National Joint Task Force reportedly recaptured Malla Fatori at the Nigeria-Chad border at the weekend. Sunday Sun could not obtain the details of the operation at press time.
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