Boko Haram has Captured another Big Town in Nigeria

Truly, it is annoying that Boko Haram is now calling the shots with impunity in Nigeria and all we seem to be hearing from the federal government who are in charge of security are condemnations.

Less than 24 hours after killing innocent students in Potiskum and releasing video of their grand master preaching in their captured towns, the dreaded Boko Haram sect has captured Maiha, another big town in the country, thus increasing their stronghold on Nigeria's territory. What a shame!

Maiha town is the administrative headquarters of Maiha Local Government of Adamawa State and it has been overrun by Boko Haram insurgents.

Maiha town is about 25 kilometres from Mubi town that was earlier captured by the same terrorists.

Fleeing residents of the captured town said they saw many soldiers running away from the area, with some of them begging the fleeing residents to give them a ride in their cars.

Even before the town fell under the control of the Boko Haram insurgents, it had been rendered a ghost of its self as commercial and social activities were paralyzed as a result of mass exodus of people from the town occasioned by annexation of Mubi.

“The insurgents started trooping into the town around 6pm and started firing shots into the area as soldiers, who had advanced to the area in their bid to recapture Mubi, started running away, allowing the insurgents to capture the town,” a resident, Mr John Paul, told LEADERSHIP.

Another fleeing resident, Mr Mahmud Garba, said some of the fleeing soldiers had begged him to assist them with civilian clothes in order not to be spotted by the insurgents.

“The fleeing soldiers asked us to give them our clothes so that they can camouflage and escape from the area safely as some of them had discarded their weapons in the bush. A lot of the discarded weapons are currently lying in the bush,” Garba said.

Garba noted that, “The insurgents did not encounter any challenge as they stormed the town in APCs and Toyota Hilux vans, firing shots into different directions as they chanted songs of victory. Many of the residents fled into the bush. Some of them are feared killed by stray bullets. The insurgents also hoisted their flags in strategic places in the town.”