By Hussaini Mohammed Baba
Katarko Village in Gujba Local Government Area of Yobe State and located some 20 kilometres to the southern part of the capital, Damaturu, and Baga in Borno State are under fresh attack by suspected Boko Haram terrorists.
The Yobe attack is coming two days after the insurgents launched a daring attack on a military base in Kukareta, also about 20 kilometres east of Damaturu, where they killed thirteen soldiers and destroyed their base including clinic catering for Internally Displaced Persons.
Neptune Prime gathered that the insurgents stormed the town at about 5:25 pm on Wednesday (today) just as gunfire is still raging around the military
location at the outskirt of the town.
A resident, Lawan Muhammed, who escaped the attack, said the assailants drove to the town in 10 Hilux vans and started shooting sporadically from all directions, many people ran into the bushes for dear life.
“We were told by villagers in Kasesa village that the militants were moving towards our area, but before we could even gather our families they had arrived. We all scampered for safety leaving them at their mercy,” he said.
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He said that sporadic gunshots are still on and “thick smoke is seen rising from the direction of the primary school,” he added.
He also lamented that they are taking refuge in the bush along with women and children despite the intense harmattan breeze.
Katarko town had on November 7, 2018 (about 2 months back) suffered similar attack that left the military facility and an Armoured Personal Carrier destroyed.
How Governor Gaidam’s Son Escaped Boko Haram Attack
Governor Ibrahim Gaidam’s son, Lawan Kawu (aka LK) narrowly escaped death in the hands of Boko Haram terrorists on Monday evening at Kukareta village along Damaturu-Maiduguri road while returning from Maiduguri.
A source close to the Governor’s son, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, revealed that “the convoy of Lawan Kawu, Governor Ibrahim Gaidam’s first child, while returning from Maiduguri ran into the gathering of Boko Haram insurgents few meters away from Kukareta military base around the time of their attack on the eve of Christmas.
“They didn’t know that they were Boko Haram terrorists. The Governor’s son’s police escort saw them dressed in uniforms. Inspector Ahmad Abdul on seeing the crowd and vehicles parked, dropped from the car to clear the road when the Boko Haram terrorists opened fire and killed the orderly which alerted the Governor’s son’s driver who turned and zoomed off to save his life”.
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How Inspector Ahmed Was Killed
Inspector Ahmed was a security aide to Chief Detail of Yobe Government House. They were assigned to escort one of the sons of Gov. Ibrahim Gaidam to Maiduguri, on their way coming back, they met a combined team of well kitted ‘Military and Mobile Police Officers’ at the Military base located at Kukareta village, about 20 kilometres away from the Yobe State Capital.
Unknown to them, it was a team of Boko Haram members that impersonated the security agencies after they took over the military base without any challenge from the over 40 armed soldiers stationed at the base.
Inspector Ahmed came out of the Escort car and approached the “security” team to inquire from them the reason of blocking the high way. Before he could realize that they were Boko Haram, he was in their midst.
They shot him instantly and subsequently beheaded him while the remaining police escorts ran back without any attempt to rescue their colleague.
In the attack on Kukareta, the insurgents killed about 13 soldiers and two policemen, one of which was Inspector Ahmed.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army has revealed that troops are currently engaging and neutralising Boko Haram terrorists in Baga, Borno State.
The Army made this known in a post on its Twitter handle.
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