More than 5,000 people have left the northeast and entered neighboring Cameroon, after its fighters occupied the border town of Kirava in Borno, residents and community leaders said today.
The guerrillas in the state of Borno, Nigeria, the focus of a 16 -year conflict carried out by Boko Haram and the West African Islamic State (ISWAP) organization, have intensified their attacks this year against civilians and security forces.
The attack
Since the beginning of the year, the guerrillas have occupied some military bases and communities in Borny, just to be repulsed by the army after they have requested aid.
The attack late yesterday, Thursday 2/10, forced the head of the Abdulrahman Abubakar area to leave his palace, which was set on fire with the barracks and dozens of houses.
“I had no choice but to flee to Cameroon,” Abubakar said in a telephone conversation with Reuters. “The inhabitants boarded trucks to seek refuge beyond the border, while others rushed to go to Maiduguri” the capital of the state.
Boko Haram took responsibility for the attack, releasing a video showing its fighters setting fire to the barracks while shouting “Niki belongs to God” as the flames went up in the night sky.
Residents reported that Kirava was abandoned. “Boko Joy has control,” said Dauda Hassan, who fled to the Pulkas a neighboring border town where there is an army.
Thursday’s attack took place after the September 19th attack on Banki, another border city, where Boko Haram fighters occupied the barracks, forcing the soldiers to leave, taking their weapons.
Yakubu Mampas Ali Kirava, head of the city’s development team, appealed to emergency military aid. He told Reuters that local militia and residents remain the only security presence after leaving in August a multinational military impact group after an attack.
