•Army raids, arrests kingpin in Sokoto
No fewer than 51 persons were gunned down in Konduga Local Government, and another 12 slaughtered in Ngom, Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State between Saturday and early morning of Sunday by suspected Boko Haram insurgents.
This is as the Army in Sokoto raided a Boko Haram hideout in the state and arrested a notorious kingpin called Mubarak, alias Dan Hajiya.
The invasion in different locations of Borno State took place during the Muslims Asba prayers.
Residents who ran to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, yesterday, for safety, disclosed that the gunmen killed unspecified number of people.
A source at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, UMTH, where the injured are being treated, said about 26 victims were receiving treatment in the hospital.
Also, a member representing Konduga at the state House of Assembly, Hon. Ali Bukar Dalori, told newsmen at the Government House in Maiduguri that he received the news of attacks of members of his constituency with shock.
He said although he did not know the casualty figure, he was informed that many people lost their lives and some who were injured were brought to the UMTH for treatment.
It was also gathered that 12 persons were earlier slaughtered by the Boko Haram insurgents in Ngom town of Mafa Local Government Area of the state, shortly after the youth volunteer group and some men of the joint task force had stormed the town in a combine operation in search of Boko Haram members.
As at the time of filling this report, it was gathered that security operatives have been drafted to the area; though neither the JTF nor the police has made statement to that effect.
When contacted, the military headquarters in Abuja could not comment as the spokesman said he was yet to be briefed.
In another development, the Army in Sokoto raided a Boko Haram hideout.
The 1 Brigade, Nigerian Army, Sokoto, yesterday raided a hideout of suspected Boko Haram insurgents. The raid started on Sunday night and lasted to the wee hours of yesterday. The arrest of suspected gang leader, Mubarak, alias Dan-Hajiya, in the raid has also been confirmed.
Captain Yahaya Musa, spokesman of the brigade, said at a news briefing in Sokoto that the operation was jointly conducted with operatives of the State Security Service, SSS.
He said the operation was in continuation of the series of raids by security agencies to rid Sokoto, Kebbi and Zamfara states of some fleeing insurgents from volatile states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe.
“Troops of the brigade have in the past few days intensified raids on the hideouts of these suspected Boko Haram terrorists.
“We have also made several arrests, and investigations are ongoing; so this is the only one we can authoritatively confirm now”.
“But I can, however, authoritatively confirm that there were no deaths recorded either on the side of the insurgents or the military and SSS,” he said.
Captain Musa said that arms and ammunition were recovered from the house of the suspect at Nakasari area of Sokoto. He said that items recovered included three AK-47 riffles, one riot gun, 153 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunitions, explosives, and three cartons of acid, knock-outs, chemicals and thermometers.
He appealed to residents to shun rumours and urged them to sustain the tempo of support and cooperation with the security agencies.