Local officials in Borno State have confirmed that at least fifty-five people have been killed in the north-east of Nigeria in co-ordinated attacks by the militant group Boko Haram.

The raid happened in the town of Bama in which eyewitness told reporters that police station, military barracks and government buildings were set ablaze by the militants.

The military spokesman for Borno State Musa Sagir in the State capital Maiduguri told reporters that Tuesday’s raid in the remote town began when some 200 heavily-armed suspected members of Boko Haram arrived in buses and pick-up trucks at about 05:00 local time (04:00 GMT).

“Some of the gunmen attacked the military barracks but they were repelled. Ten of them were killed and two were arrested,” he said.

“But the gunmen broke into the prison, freeing 105 inmates, and killed all prison warders they could see except those who hid in a store where cooking utensils were kept,” he added.

Eyewitness who saw the attack told reporters that the militants wore military uniforms for the attack which continued for almost five hours before it ended.

Twenty-two police officers, 14 prison wardens, two soldiers and four civilians are said to have died along with 13 members of Boko Haram according to official figure given by the military.

Bama police commander Abubakar Sagir was quoted by reporters as saying that civilians including a woman and 3 children were among the dead.

Late last month the military launched a raid to hunt down militants in Baga, also in Borno state, after Boko Haram militants attacked a military patrol.

Nearly 200 people died in that raid and thousands of buildings were destroyed, leading to claims by rights groups that the military had used excessive force. The army put the number killed at 37.

This attack deadly attack come after President Goodluck Jonathan officially backed amnesty talks for the Boko Haram by setting up a committee to dialogue with the group last month.

The committee will consider dialogue and disarmament in 60 days after which the report of the committee will be implemented.

The committee is made up of 25 members include military figures, academicians and politicians who primary duty will be to address the underlying causes of insurgencies and to find solutions to prevent them recurring again.

It is unclear what the government will do next whether to continue the amnesty talks with the militants or to stop and resort to force as a result of this latest development.

Amnesty International said in January that Boko Haram had killed at least 2,000 people in their attacks and urged the government to find an urgent solution to stop them.

Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News

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