Two local vigilante personnel were left dead on Saturday night after gunmen believed to be Boko Haram members attacked Yale village in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State, officials said.
Another operative of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria, VGN, lies in critical condition at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital following the attack.
The attackers were said to have targeted a security post where both vigilante and soldiers hold sentry in Yale village.
The spokesperson of the VGN in Borno State, Abbas Gava,said the gunmen invaded Yale village late Saturday night shooting sporadically and causing scared residents to flee into the bushes.
“Three of our officials who were in Yale on routine duty were shot during the attack. We lost Abba Umar Yale who is our officer in charge of Yale ward and Kaigama Bukar who was the commander in charge of Konduga Local Government Area.
“The commander in charge of Kawuri, Kaumi Ahijjo was wounded and he has been brought to the hospital in a very critical condition”, he said, but could not confirm if there was any significant casualty on the side of the soldiers.
Meanwhile, the director, Army public relations, Brigadier-Gen. Sani Usman in a statement said that troops of 3 Battalion, 22 Brigade Nigerian Army of Operation LAFIYA DOLE, carried out a successful clearance operation along that axis.
“At about a Kilometre to Jarawa village, the troops entered heavy Boko Haram terrorists’ ambush, which they successfully cleared after about some minutes of fire fight. They followed it up in hot pursuit of the fleeing insurgents into the nearby forest.
“The troops were able to neutralize a large number of Boko Haram terrorists including the notorious Abu Nazir, the terrorists’ Amir in Jarawa during the operation.
They also captured several weapons including an AK-47 rifle, 1 Double barrel gun, 1 primed heavy Improvised Explosive Device (IED) and 3 Motorcycles.
“Additionally, they rescued nine abducted children undergoing training at the terrorists’ training camp in the village.
“The minors have been evacuated and are being given preliminary humanitarian assistance in preparation to handing them over to Kala Balge Internally Displaced Persons Camp Management Committee,” the statement said.
Brigadier General Sani Kukasheka Usman
Director Army Public Relations