Few hours after the takeover of the Mohammadu Buhari administration and the successful swearing ceremony of Governor Kashim Shettima of Borno State, the Boko Haram insurgents made a daring attempt to lunch a heavy attack on Maiduguri metropolis.


The Nation reports that residents of the town were thrown into fear early as heavy bombardment between the insurgents and security rocked the town for over three hours on Friday night through Saturday morning.

There are indications that scores of people may have died in the exchange of gunfire between the insurgents and the military as details of the attack are still sketchy.

Adamu Hamza, a resident of Bulunkutu area in Maiduguri said the neighbourhood had a terrible experience as the insurgents tried to penetrate Maiduguru from Dala village.

There were reports that the insurgents engaged the security firing Rocket Propelled Grenades in the town, which according to Hamza is "why there may be heavy casualties because I learnt some of the grenade torched people’s houses."

Another source informed that heavy explosions has left four residents dead, several other injured and houses destroyed.

"The terrorists came prepared to take over the town but after realizing the heavy fire power from troops, started firing their rocket Launchers into the city, which led to the killing of a taxi driver, Mallam Bukar around Borehole area of Gomari airport of Maiduguri, while the three other residents died in different locations", the source said.

Another Resident of Gomari who shared fence with one of the victims said part of their fence was destroyed from the grenade that failed on their house. An inpecable security source informed that "the terrorists were sighted around a village near Dala and outskirts of Maiduguri which has a link road to Sambisa Forest."


So far there is no official statement from the 7 Division Nigerian Army Maiduguri.