Local reporters in Northeastern Nigeria have said that many people are feared dead after Boko Haram fighters attacked a town in the Northeast of the country.

It was reported that the town of Damboa came under intense gunfire for several hours by the militants over the weekend, and witnesses told reporters that half of the town had been completely burnt down.

The town is some 85km from the state capital Maiduguri, and reporters say the town has been deserted as many people have fled to neighboring towns in the area.

Witnesses said they have so far recovered 18 bodies and that the death toll is likely to rise due to the devastating nature of the attack.

“Those who could not flee surrendered and were killed by the insurgents, we have collected 18 bodies so far and the death toll is likely to rise” an unnamed local official was quoted by reporters as saying.

Neither the Nigerian Central Government nor the military has commented on this latest attack.

Meanwhile, the governor for Borno state, Kashim Shettima has said that 176 teachers had been killed and 900 schools destroyed by Boko Haram since 2011.

President Goodluck Jonathan asked Parliament last week to approve a loan agreement worth $1bn to help the military fight Boko Haram. But the parliamentarians have now gone on a two-month recess without debating the request.

Nigeria’s soldiers have frequently complained that the insurgents have superior firepower due to poor logistics and ammunitions.

Boko Haram has stepped up its attacks ever since it abducted the Chibok schoolgirls in April which has sparked an international outrage.

An international rescue operation is still being carried out by the US and its allies to be able to locate and free the abducted schoolgirls.

The Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre and the Norwegian Refugee Council has said that more than 3,300 people have been killed by Boko Haram this year alone. Political analysts say this the worse year for Nigeria since Boko Haram began its campaign in 2009.

President Goodluck Jonathan has said that he would use force to eliminate Boko Haram from Nigeria to bring back the peace the country enjoyed previously.

But this promise has yielded no results as Boko Haram still attack when and where they like without any resistance from government troops.

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News

Writer’s Email Address: Adamsisska@googlemail.com

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