Two policemen and five suspected members of the Boko Haram Islamist sect died during a gun battle early on Thursday, the Joint Task Force (JTF) on security in Yobe State has confirmed.
The seven died in a gun exchange that followed an attack by suspected terrorists on security formations at Gashua in Bade Local Government Area of the state.
According to an announcement by Spokesman of the JTF, Lt. Eli Lazarus some of the terrorists escaped with gunshot wounds. He therefore appealed to health workers not to treat anyone found with gunshot wounds in the locality.
“Please, help us by informing the Police or any of the task force formations before anyone with gunshot wounds would be treated,” he said, adding that “those that escaped with gunshot wounds also carted away two vehicles, police uniforms and other items from the police station.”
He disclosed also that security operative recovered three vehicles, one AK47 rifle and one Rocket Propelled Grenade bomb, as well as a locally made pistol, one generating set and a large quantity of ammunition.
He revealed that the JTF was conducting a cordon-and-search operation in Gashua to identify gunmen hiding in the village, and assured that his men were managing the situation well.
In a related development, residents of Bama, some 75km away from Maiduguri, Borno State have fled following an attack by suspected Boko Haram members, who shot dead least four policemen and set ablaze houses.
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of the area would have been the high-profile casualty but he escaped with bullet wounds.
