Army repel attack, bombard insurgents in Gombe, Yobe

From David Hassan, Gombe, with agency report

Gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram insurgents were said to have opened fire on residents  when they attacked Bajoga town of Gombe State in the early hours of  Thursday.

According to an eyewitness who spoke with our correspondent, the incident occurred around 6:am when suspected insurgents invaded the town Funakaye Local Government  Area and started shooting sporadically which he said  attracted  residents of the area  to scamper for safety.

The source also said after shooting sporadically, the attackers went to the police divisional and area command headquarters and bombed them, noting that a bank and a school located in the area were also bombed by the attackers.

He said it took security agents three hours’ gun battle to repel the attackers but stressed that the insurgents had also reportedly advanced their mission to Ashaka town.

Speaking further, the source   said many residents had to flee to the bush for safety even as he said no one can tell the casualty figure as at the time of filing this report.

According to him, the insurgents were well-armed when they drove into the town in more than twenty Hilux vans with a view to laying siege on the town the source said.

He said, ”up till now as I am talking to you, there is sporadic gunshots in the town which made  many flee the area while others were trapped in their houses.”

 It could be recalled that there was a similar attack by the Boko Haram on Ashaka town also in Funakaye Local Government where one policeman was injured.

Confirming the incident to newsmen , the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) DSP Fwaji Atajiri said in the early hours of Thursday Gunmen attacked Bajoga town, but the  security agents were able to

repel the attack.

He said the area is under control of security agents, urging that residents should report any suspicious movement within their vicinity.

The police spokesman also advised residents to go on their normal businesses even as he said the security agents would do everything

possible to ensure that lives and property of citizens are protected.

Similarly, Air Force jets yesterday bombarded Boko Haram insurgents as they re-grouped to launch another attack on Damaturu the Yobe State capital.

According to reports, the insurgents were regrouping at Garin Itace, otherwise called firewood town located 20km on the outskirts of Damaturu, to re-launch an attack on the town where the jet bombarded them.

Reports quoted security sources as saying that some local residents sighted the insurgents and alerted security agents who took proactive steps to attack them before their plans were hatched.

The sound of bombardment by the jet fighter coupled with pockets of gunshots during the operations sent most residents back to their homes before the 6pm that the curfew took effect.

Some of the residents were even compelled to leave the town.

Governor Gaidam who was returning to Damaturu from Abuja, was said to have been turned back to Kano by security agents.