Staff Of Media Trust Killed In Yobe Boko Haram Attack

Posted by: bamigbade afeez adekunle on October 26, 2013

Mallam Abdulwasiu Akinsanya, a staff of Media Trust, publishers of Daily Trust, Weekly Trust and Sunday Trust was Thursday killed in Damaturu, capital of Yobe State, when gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram members launched multiple attacks on military and police locations as well as public and private buildings.
According to the deceased’s wife, Bilkisu A. Akinsanya, her husband was killed around 5.30pm when their vehicle broke down in Damaturu shortly before the Boko Haram insurgents launched the attacks.
The gunmen, according to military sources, had access and launched coordinated attacks using Rocket Propelled Launchers and Improvised Explosive Devices (EIDs) on different military checkpoints within the metropolis killing several people.
Witnesses of the Damaturu attack said the gunmen first launched attack around the NNPC Mega station, a suburb of Damaturu which had been a GSM Call centre for Maiduguri residents who on daily basis travel from Maiduguri due to lack of telecommunication network to make calls.
The NNPC Mega Station is about 2 kilometres away to the City of Damaturu where military operatives have one of their checkpoints, a few metres away from the station, and because of the presence of the security checkpoint, many phone callers from Maiduguri turned the place to a call centre with adequate security cover; but the gunmen launched their deadly attack on the area before moving to other places in the city, Vanguard reports.

The number of casualties could not be immediately confirmed, sources however said, several terrorists were killed including security operatives.
A source said, “I saw dead bodies on the streets near my house, but could not ascertain whether the dead bodies are that of Boko Haram members, innocent civilians or security operatives”.
The spokesman of the Special Operation Battalion in Yobe state, captain Eli Lazarus who confirmed the attack said “security forces in the state capital are in a gun battle with the insurgents.”
Shortly after the confirmation of the attack, Captain Eli Lazarus in a statement said “the Special operation Battalion Damaturu hereby imposed a 24 hours curfew across Yobe state with immediate effect, as the battalion steps up its operation to rid the state of insurgents”.
The statement urged law abiding citizens to remain calm and to accord the security operatives the usual cooperation.