Gunmen abduct dozens of travellers along Damaturu-Maiduguri highway

At least one person was reportedly shot dead while dozens of travellers were forcibly taken away by gunmen suspected to be insurgents along Maiduguri to Damaturu highway on Friday evening.

At least one person was reportedly shot dead while dozens of travellers were forcibly taken away by gunmen suspected to be insurgents along Maiduguri to Damaturu highway on Friday evening.

A source said the suspected insurgents allegedly mounted barricades at Kondiri village near Jakana town in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State around 5pm where they stopped passengers travelling by a bus, Toyota model and two cars before they took them away.

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One person whose identity was not established was shot dead while four others were injured in the attack.

The source said that the suspected insurgents ‘habitually’ launched attacks on the ‘bad portion’ of the road around Jakana.

According to an eyewitness, Modu Usman, who narrowly escaped Friday attack, the gunmen who were dressed in combat fatigues, had two trucks mounted with an anti-aircraft artillery “stationed by the roadside just like the way troops operate.”

Usma’s vehicle nearly ran into the road barricade, which he said could be mistaken for patrols, before the ‘driver sensed danger ahead’ and swerved into the bush and made a U-turn.

He said, “God saved us; our driver had prior experience and while we were approaching the scene, where a bus and two golf cars were intercepted, he made a U-turn into bush. There were gunshots at the scene.

“The cars were later allowed to go. We returned to Benishek town where we spent the night and this morning (Saturday), we continued our journey to Maidiuguri. We saw the remains of four vehicles including truck carrying cement burnt down at the scene.”

A top vigilante official confirmed the incident and said the matter was reported to the police in Auno town.

Meanwhile a suicide attack in Konduga town on Friday claimed the lives of five persons while several others were wounded.