2,000 killed in Boko Haram’s reign of terror as Nigeria appeals for help

More than 2,000 people were killed by Boko Haram militants as their seized a swath of villages in Nigeria’s troubled north.

The militants attacked Baga about 150 kilometres from Maiduguri, the capital of embattled Borno State with a population of more than 10,000 last week and razed 16 villages.

The militants also almost lost Damaturu, the capital of Yobe state. Soldiered stationed in Baga fled after the attacks.

But the Defence ministry insisted that the fight was still ongoing in Baga and that many insurgents had been mauled down.

A statement by the Director of Defence Information Maj-Gen Chris Olukolade said 14 soldiers have been killed in action and 30 wounded.

“The Nigerian military has not given up on Baga and other localities where terrorists’ activities are now prevalent.

Appropriate plans, men and resources are presently being mobilised to address the situation,” he said.

2000 CIVILIANS DEAD

Amnesty International alleged that more than 2,000 civilians might have died in the deadliest raid on Baga by Boko Haram, but the DHQ said the actual figure of civilian casualties has not been creditably determined.

A statement by Unicef Executive Director, Mr Anthony Lake, on Monday also confirmed that over 2,000 people might have been killed in the attack.

“And lest we forget, more than two hundred girls stolen from their families are still missing.

"Words alone can neither express our outrage nor ease the agony of all those suffering from the constant violence in northern Nigeria. This cannot be allowed to go on,” he added.

The agency also wants Boko Haram to stop using girls to carry out suicide bombing.

Boko Haram remains in control of the northeast Nigerian town of Baga, a resident said on Monday.

“I entered Baga around 2:00 am today (Monday) and it was still occupied by Boko Haram,” fisherman Borye Kime told AFP by telephone from Dubuwa village in neighbouring Chad.

“They have set up barricades in strategic locations in the town. It is corpses everywhere. The whole town smells of decomposing bodies.”

FMALE SUICIDE BOMBERS

Four people were also killed in suicide attacks by two female bombers on Sunday in the latest deadly violence in northeast Nigeria after the military appealed for support to help fight Boko Haram.

The two women targeted a crowded market in Potiskum, Yobe State, a day after 19 people were killed in a similar attack in neighbouring Borno State, by a girl thought to be aged just 10.

Potiskum — a repeated target for the militants — was also hit on Saturday, when a car exploded outside a police station, killing the driver and an officer.

And on Monday evening, Islamists launched an attack Monday on a military base in northwest Cameroon, forcing many to flee the area, the official sources said.

“As soon as people heard the first gunfire they fled the city” of Kolofata, a local Cameroonian source told AFP.

“The gunfire was very heavy,” said the source, adding that the military base is in an area where police, elite army, and local government premises are also located.

Police confirmed the attack but there was no immediate information on any casualties..

Boko Haram has seized dozens of towns and villages in northeast Nigeria in the last six months and now reportedly controls the border areas of Borno state with Niger, Chad and Cameroon