8 killed, 15 injured in highway ambush by Boko Haram in Borno

Eight persons were killed and 15 others injured in a highway ambush by members of the terror group, Boko Haram.

It was gathered that the terrorists laid ambush at Ngamdu village along the Maiduguri-Damaturu road at about 9.30am on Tuesday.

One of the passengers, who narrowly escape the attack (name withheld), told Punch in Maiduguri that the insurgents laid siege to the highway and shot sporadically at travelers.

He said one of the terrorists pretended to be crossing the road on a horse in order to slow down the vehicles on the highway while the other insurgents, who had taken position in the surrounding bushes, opened fire on the unsuspecting travellers.

The lucky traveller, whose vehicle had to make a U-turn, claimed that the insurgents forced out the occupants of a black Sports Utility Vehicle and a red Honda saloon, shot at them before carting away their cars.

He said, “Our driver, on seeing them, quickly made a U-turn but the insurgents continued opening fire on our vehicle and bullet hits one of our passengers at the back of his head.

“One of the buses behind us also made a U-turn but while trying to turn, the Boko Haram terrorists shot him in his eyes.”

He said both the driver and passenger were currently receiving treatment at the Umaru Shehu General Hospital in Maiduguri.

He said, “No fewer than eight persons were killed in the incident, all the occupants of the two vehicles snatched by the terrorists were killed and several other motorists.”

Credit: Kayode Idowu/Punch