Timothy Olanrewaju, Maiduguri
The police have confirmed at least 11 people killed in an ambush on a convoy conveying some displaced persons, officials and security personnel by Boko Haram on a highway in Borno on Friday.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Borno Command, Edet Okon in a statement on Saturday said eight of the policemen and three Civilian JTF on the convoy were killed during the ambush.
“In the ensuing gun fight however, casualties were recorded on both sides. Unfortunately, eight (8) Policemen and three (3) members of the Civilian Joint Task Force paid the supreme price,” the police spokesman said.
He said the ambush on the convoy occurred few kilometres to Cross Kauwa on Friday at about 12 noon while going to Baga, a town along the Lake Chad shore for the resetlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) by the state government.
“On 25th September, 2020 at about 12PM, the security convoy who were heading to Baga in respect of Government’s effort to relocate indigenes of Baga to their ancestral home came under heavy gun attack by Armed Men suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists a few Kilometers from Cross Kauwa,” he disclosed.
He said 13 other persons sustained various degrees of injuries and were rushed to hospital for treatment.
However some security sources said three soldiers and some civilians were also killed in the ensued gun dwell with the insurgents.
The Sun has earlier reported a convoy of vehicles conveying some IDPs, state officials and security personnel were attacked by Boko Haram. Some reports claimed the convoy of the governor was attacked.
The governor had before the ambush moved to Baga for the resettlement of IDPs displaced from the town since 2014 following Boko Haram attacks.
