10 DEAD, 145 WOUNDED IN KADUNA CHURCH BOMB BLAST

A suicide attacker drove a car bomb into a church on Sunday, sparking fierce reprisals that saw a Christian mob burn a man alive in day of a bloody of violence that left at least 10 people dead and 145 wounded.

Christian youths took to the streets of the northern city of Kaduna with machetes and sticks after the blast, targeting those they believed to be Muslims as anger again boiled over due to repeated church bombings in recent months.

Attackers beat a motorcycle taxi driver near the church, then put his bike on top of him before dousing him with petrol and setting him on fire, an AFP correspondent who saw the violence said. Two other bloodied bodies apparently killed by the mob were seen near the church.
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A rescue official on condition of anonymity also spoke of the man being burnt and said rescuers could not save him because the mob was too violent.
The mob also attacked an ambulance in the ensuing violence, but there was no indication that rescuers were wounded.
“So far we have eight dead and 145 injured from the church blast,” Musa Ilallah, regional coordinator for the National Emergency Management Agency, told AFP, noting that his death toll included the suspected bomber.
The attacker rammed what residents said was an SUV into St. Rita church, shaking the Malali neighbourhood of Kaduna, a city that has suffered a wave of deadly violence blamed on Islamist extremist group Boko Haram.
“All of a sudden it drove on high speed and rammed into the church wall, forcing its way into the church premises,” said witness Samuel Emmanuel.
“Initially I thought the driver had lost control of the vehicle. Suddenly there was a huge explosion as the car reached the church building. It was dust, fire and
smoke all over.”

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British Court Convicts Briton of Helping to Organise Illegal Arms Shipment to Nigeria

British Court Convicts Briton of Helping to Organise Illegal Arms Shipment to Nigeria

A Southwark Crown Court has convicted a former special constable, Gary Hyde, 43, of helping to organise a huge shipment of guns and ammunition from China to Nigeria without a licence. The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), reports that Hyde helped shipped illegally, 40,000 AK-47 assault rifles, 30,000 rifles and 10,000 pistols to Nigeria in 2007. The former special constable is due to be sentenced at the British Court on November 23.

 

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High-Profile Boko Haram Member Arrested At Senator’s Home

Nigerian authorities said Friday they had arrested an alleged high-profile member of Islamist extremist group Boko Haram at the home of a senator in the violence-torn Nigerian city of Maiduguri.

The statement from a military task force in Maiduguri did not name the senator and provided few other details. There have been allegations of links between elements of Boko Haram and local politicians in the past.

“A high-profile Boko Haram commander, one Shuaibu Mohammed Bama, who has been on the list of wanted terrorists was arrested by task force troops in a serving senator’s house,” the statement said of the arrest on Thursday.

“He is in the custody of the (task force) and assisting in the investigation and has since made startling revelations.”

In November 2011, Nigerian secret police said they had arrested an alleged Boko Haram spokesman with ties to a member of parliament. The alleged links, however, appeared to involve local politics in Nigeria’s northeast.

Nigerian authorities frequently exaggerate their efforts in arresting or cracking down on Boko Haram, which has carried out scores of bombings and shootings.

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SENATOR HAS ADMITTED TO HAVING LINKS WITH BOKO HARAM

Senator Ndume Has Admitted To Having Links With Boko Haram

The Department of State Security Service (SSS) yesterday alleged that the embattled senator, Mohammed Aliyu Ndume, had admitted to having links with the radical Jama’atu Ahlus Sunnati Lidda’awati Wal Jihad, otherwise known as Boko Haram.
SSS said it made the shocking discovery when Ndume’s mobile telephone call logs were analysed during investigations. The Senator is currently facing terrorism charges levelled against him by the Federal Government.
Related Article: Senator Ndume gave AGF’s mobile number to Boko Haram – SSS
An officer of SSS, James Ene Izi, a prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of the senator representing Borno South senatorial district, disclosed that Ndume admitted in a voluntary statement made to the service of having telephone interactions with the jailed former spokesperson of the sect, Ali Konduga.
Izi said , “Konduga, in his confessional statement told the SSS that Ndume gave him the phone number of the AGF to threaten him (AGF) that they would make Borno State ungovernable if he did not ensure that the Borno State Election Petition Tribunal gave judgment in favour of the PDP.”
The officer added that when the senator and Konduga were made to face each other, Ndume denied that he knows the suspected Boko Haram sect, though they had been communicating on phone for sometime now.
Izi also said the confession was further confirmed, as the phone number of Konduga was found on Ndume’s mobile contact.
Led in evidence-in-chief by prosecution counsel, Thompson Olatigbe, the witness further said “in the process of investigating Konduga, he mentioned the name of the the accused, one Saidu Pindar who is now deceased and some of the politicians that have influenced the Boko Haram activities in Maiduguri.
“Upon this, we invited the accused formally for interrogation and made voluntary confessional statement, where he admitted that he has been having link with the sect.”
After taking the evidence, the trial judge, Justice Gabriel Kolawole, later adjourned till December 1.

 

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Motorcyclist Sells Nurse To Ritual Killers For N10,000

A commercial motorcyclist, identified simply as Ifeanyi, has been arrested for allegedly handing over a nurse, Mrs. Helen Ilonge, to ritual killers after collecting N10, 000.

 

PUNCH Metro learnt that Ilonge had on Tuesday last week took Ifeanyi’s motorcycle on her way to Igoli along the Ogoja-Ikom Highway in Ogoja LGA.
Ilonge, the coordinator of Primary Health Care in Bekwarra Local Government Area of Cross River State, was coming from a programme at the Assemblies of God Church, Abakaliki in Ebonyi State, and had alighted from a vehicle at Okpongrinya junction before taking the bike.
It was gathered that Ilonge (51) was beheaded while her other vital reproductive parts such as breast and vagina were removed for ritual purposes.
Ilonge’s neighbour, Mrs. Theresa Idagwu, on Sunday said, “Ifeanyi took the lady from Okpogrinya Junction on the pretence that he was taking her to the village, which is 10 minutes drive from the point. But along the way, he stopped and handed her over to kidnappers at Ukpe.
Meanwhile, the woman had called her daughter, Victoria, around 9pm that she had taken a bike at Okpogrinya Junction on her way to Igoli. She said when she gets to her destination; she would call again so that Victoria would boil water for her to take her bath. That was Ilonge’s last call.”
Repeated calls made to the woman’s line, according to Idagwu, indicated that it was switched off.
She said Ilonge’s family became worried when the woman did not return home. “We went everywhere- police stations, hospitals and even her friends in Igoli, thinking that may be an accident had occurred along the road but we got nothing,” Idagwu added.
Two days later, Idagwu said someone called Victoria on her phone and informed her that her mother had been kidnapped. The caller demanded a ransom of N50, 000 to be remitted in form of recharge cards.
She said, “Since her daughter could not raise the money, she rushed to the Bekwarra LGA headquarters where the head of administration, Mr. Bisong Bogbo, and the chairman, Mr. Linus Edeh, provided the money with which she bought recharge cards and sent to the caller.
“The voice claimed that he needed the recharge cards so he could sell and run away from his master who is a ritual killer. He claimed that he had been serving his master for a long time and wanted to run away. He said once he gets the cards, he will break the door where the nurse is being kept and release her.”
The LGA’s head of administration, Bogbo, confirmed that the cards were sent to the kidnapper through Victoria’s telephone.
He said immediately the alleged kidnapper confirmed receipt of the cards; he switched off his telephone.
Luck, however, ran out of Ifeanyi. Policemen tracked his telephone line and discovered that he called Victoria from Abuochiche.
Further investigations, it was gathered, showed that Ifeanyi had been selling the cards in the village immediately he got them.
When he was arrested, Bogbo told our correspondent that Ifeanyi led the police to one of the ritual killers identified simply as Elvis.
Elvis, according to Bogbo, confessed that the nurse had already been killed and some of her vital organs removed before Ifeanyi asked for the recharge cards.
Elvis also said the remains of the woman were buried in a swamp.
At the council headquarters, one of the late nurse’s colleagues, Mr. Gabriel Ogar, said she was probably the kindest woman he ever worked with.
Ogar said, “I have worked with five coordinators, but I know that she is just the best so far. She worked to the admiration of Governor Liyel Imoke and now she has been killed leaving her five children without a helper.
“Her husband died 12 years ago and since then she has been the one taking care of the children and only one has graduated. Please let the government do something for those poor children.”
When contacted on Monday, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Osita Ezechukwu, said the police were still investigating the matter.
He said four suspects had been apprehended by the anti-homicide unit, adding that when the investigation was completed the suspects would be prosecuted.
“We have taken confessional statement from them. Those who are not involved have been allowed to go while those who are involved are still in detention,” Ezechukwu said.

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13, YEAR -OLD GIRL ESCAPES FROM RITUALISTS DEN, 10 KILLED

                      13-year-old girl escapes from ritualists’ den, 10 others killed

When Emmanuela, 13, a JSS student of Shadoff Secondary school, Igbogbo, set out on that fateful day for her usual Thursdays fellowship and faith clinic service at a church, little did she know that it was going to be the most horrifying experience of her life as a teenager.

But by divine intervention, Emmanuela returned to tell the grueling story of her kidnapp and how she was slated for rituals before God set her free. But other ten passengers could not live to tell their stories.

According to her, “I entered the bus from Igbogbo around 7pm. I was going to my church for our Thursday vigil. When I entered the bus, I noticed that all the passengers in the bus were sleeping. They were about ten. I felt something was wrong and I quickly told the driver to stop for me that I had forgotten my transport fare at home.

The conductor then said that I should not worry that he would not collect money from me. I insisted I would get down, shouting that I was going to church and I would not be able to come back home even if he did not collect money from me. But he refused. As we were arguing on that, the conductor immediately brought out a handkerchief and waved it on my face and that was the last thing I remembered.

“I then saw myself at a shrine with other victims. The following day at the shrine, they began to kill others with knife and machete one after the other. Although we were blindfolded, yet, I was able to see a bit of what was going on. They decided Sunday would be my turn when they would conclude their rituals.”

“We were there without food or water, and when it got to my turn on Sunday, I was taken to the shrine again along with the remaining two. But I heard one of them saying ‘no, they should return me back to where they picked me. We were three left out of about eleven people.”

But instead of returning me back to where they picked me , they kept me somewhere. The following day which was Monday, they took the three of us back to the shrine. The other two were killed that day, leaving only me. One of them again told the men that they should look for another person to replace me and that they should return me immediately. But they refused saying that they cannot return me and that they should manage and use me like that.

After the argument, I was laid at the shrine, at that point, with the little consciousness I had, I was praying, I was weak and could not even move my body. I realised that the killer could not bring his knife on me. The next thing I heard was that ‘take this girl away’. Again, that was what I saw until I found myself at the Ita Elewa, Ikorodu late at night.”

Emmanuela said: “It was dark, I didn’t know how I got there; I just suddenly discovered I was out of their hands, but I was very weak. There, I saw a man in a suit walking on the street. I approached him and asked him where I was? He told me Ita-Elewa; I begged him to take me to my church because it was very close to the area they dropped me. He obliged me. When I entered the church, I fell and lay by the gate.

“As a member of the drama group, we usually hold drama rehearsals every Tuesdays. So, it was co-incidental that the members of the group were there at that time. Somebody who was sent by our leader to check the gate saw me and took me inside, prayed for me and gave me food to eat. Throughout my stay there, I was never hungry, until I came out.”

Asked to describe the area where the ritual took place, Emmanuela said what she saw were materials and accessories used by ritualists, such as charms, knives, machetes among others.

She explained that it was an isolated area, adding “there is no living house in the area. I really don’t know the place, but what I saw there were things used by ritualists. I can’t really say whether it was in Ikododu or its outskirts and I can’t determine the time we spent on the road because I didn’t even know how I got there.”

“It was on a Thursday and we use to have our Faith Clinic in the Church. The Drama group which she belongs, had a vigil and she was going to attend that vigil when she left home. Usually, she comes home after the vigil the following morning around 6:30am. But that Friday, I was expecting her to come but she did not come. I initially thought she slept off in the church.

“Three hours later, I called the leader, and to my amazement, he said she didn’t come to church. I rushed down to the church to tell them when and how she left home the previous day. The following day, I reported the matter at Ikorodu police station. I also reported to our Pastor and other Churches in the area for prayers. Throughout this period, I was devastated.

“I knew something was wrong because I knew she couldn’t stay outside for days without seeing me. I have always trusted her. She has grown to know me very well, she has been with me since she was born. I know what she is capable of doing. She finds it difficult to stay outside our home even when I traveled out of town.

“So, I knew something terrible was about to happen to her. I told people she must have been kidnapped or held somewhere. So, I engaged pastors to help me in prayers. But the revelation from all angles was that she was alive and will return.

My son went to Ajegunle to see a man-of-God and we were assured she would come back. He was even told to mention the day we want her to return. My brother said tomorrow being Tuesday, and the man-of-God said she will come back either Monday or Tuesday. I vacated my house at Igbogbo to my sister’s house at Sabo to keep in touch with people who assist me in prayers.

At about 11pm, my phone rang and I was told she was brought to the church late Tuesday around 11pm. I could not go immediately because it was late as there was no vehicle on the road, but then, I couldn’t sleep.

You know in this kind of situation, people will say a lot of funny and unpalatable things, some said she went after a boyfriend and other things. She was so weak and atrophied when she returned. I couldn’t imagine a girl will stay with a boy for days and look so dirty, weak and emaciated. So, I decided to take her to a hospital for a test. She was tested, and I can tell you that she was not touched, she remains intact.” said Emmauela’s grandma.

The other unknown ten passengers could not live to tell their story, their identities are not known just as their families most probably would still be searching every nook and cranny for their whereabouts.

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NIGERIA:PHYSICALLY-CHALLENGED PASTOR ARRESTED FOR SICKLER DEATH DURING VIGIL

Physically-challenged pastor arrested for sickler’s death during vigil

A physically challenged trainee pastor, Adebayo Kehinde, 19, will have to explain the circumstances surrounding the death of a member of his church, known as Tobi.

The deceased was said to have attended a night vigil supervised by Kehinde in a church at Iree in Osun State when he had three successive epileptic seizures and died.

Before his death, Tobi was a student of a polytechnic in the state and a sickler. CRIME DIGEST gathered that he had suffered epileptic seizures since he was born 23 years ago.

The police in Osun arrested Kehinde over the incident. His father, Mr. Samuel Kehinde, said he was away from home when he learnt of the incident. He said, “On Oct. 5, I was in Ekiti State when I received a phone call from my son in the evening. He told me that he was detained at the Iree Police Division in Osun. Naturally, I panicked and asked what offence he had committed. Adebayo told me that there was a sick man (Tobi) who had come for a vigil at the church on Friday night. He didn’t explain what the nature of the sickness was. He just went on to say that in the middle of the night during prayers, Tobi took ill.

“Adebayo told me that when he discovered that Tobi had died, he phoned the boy’s parents to inform them about his death. They had told him that they were on their way. While he waited for them, another man walked in with some policemen to arrest him. It was later he discovered that the man was Tobi’s landlord. It was the landlord who informed the police about Tobi’s death.

“I told Adebayo that I was in Ekiti and I would see him the next day. I asked him if his boss, who is also my friend, Mr. Demola Bamgboye, was aware of the situation. He said that he had spoken with Bamgboye.”

Two days after, Mr. Kehinde met his son, Adebayo, in the same church where Tolu died. There he learnt that Bamgboye had sent somebody to bail his son that Sunday evening and that the entire matter had been settled.

“Adebayo had given me the assurance that everything was over. The next day I returned to Ekiti, only to receive another phone call from Adebayo that Thursday, telling me that he had been rearrested by the police. He said more money was needed to bail him or else he would be transferred to the Osun state Police Command.

“I was confused because Adebayo had initially told me that Tolu’s parents had told the police that they were not interested in going to court over the matter to make a case because they knew Tobi was epileptic. I wasn’t really buoyant financially so I phoned Bamgboye, but he was still not back in Osun. By the time Bamgboye called me a few days later, he said that Adebayo had been taken from the Area Command at Iragbiji to the Osun Police Command. He told me that he had spent a lot of money to bail out my son and had no more money to spend.

“I quickly returned to Lagos to raise some money; I was advised to bring N40,000. Till date, I am still trying to raise that amount,” he said.

When CRIME DIGEST contacted Bamgboye, he said he was not available when the incident happened. He said, “I was in the north when I got a call that Saturday morning from an elderly member of my church; somebody was lying dead in the church. I immediately called Adebayo and asked him about it. At the time, he had left the church at about 5 am in his usual habit to preach. He thought that Tolu had recovered after his last seizure, not knowing that the boy was dead and actually thought he was sleeping.

“I asked him to report the case at the nearest police station. Unfortunately, before anyone could do anything, Tobi’s landlord at his off campus residence, had brought in policemen to arrest Adebayo. I have always known Tobi to be a regular member of church. I knew him through Adebayo; they were friends.

“I had earlier told Adebayo that I wanted to meet Tobi’s parents before allowing him to sleep in the church. But he told me in confidence that Tobi was an epileptic and sickler and that his parents were aware that he was always attending vigil. I had made a lot of effort and spent some money before Adebayo was released from detention only to hear he was rearrested again and taken to Area Command at Iragbiji. A few days later, he was transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department at Osogbo based on a petition that had been written by someone to the Commissioner of police. I have done my best to help him, but it is not yielding any result.”

The Osun State Police Public relations officer Sade Odoro who confirmed Tobi’s death to CRIME DIGEST, however denied Adebayo’s continued detention. “We do not have a police division at Iree though I am well aware of this case. Tobi was a sickler and an epileptic patient who died during one of his seizures. His parents were the ones who advised him to attend that church for healing since medically, nothing could be done for him.

“They are not even making trouble over his death so the allegation that Kehinde is in our custody is false. Nobody was arrested in connection with Tobi’s death; we don’t have anybody like Adebayo in our custody. Tobi’s parents were even upset with the church that his death was reported to the police because they knew he was sick,” Odoro said.

But CRIME DIGEST investigations show that Kehinde is indeed being held at the Osun State Criminal Investigation Department command and a certain Inspector is said to be in charge of his case. Tobi’s father could not be reached for his comments as his phone was switched off.

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ATTACKED: NIGERIAN EMBASSY IN BERLIN ATTACKED

BERLIN: NIGERIA EMBASSY IN BERLIN WAS ATTACKED

The Nigerian Embassy in Berlin was attacked with paint bombs on Wednesday night by unknown persons, the police have said.


According to police spokesman, unknown attackers threw glass bottles filled with a thick and sticky liquid at the front of the building in Neue Jakobstraße, (The name of the street where the embassy is situated).


The spokesman said the police have handed over the investigation of the incident to state security authorities, adding that political motive may not be ruled out in the attack.


The police said security workers noticed the damage to the building on Thursday morning.


The spokesman said that on Monday, 120 activists, members of the "Refugee Protest March in Berlin campaign" gathered in front of the Nigerian Embassy to demonstrate against the practice of deporting asylum seekers from Germany.


According to him, 14 of the activists illegally entered to the embassy, in order to "occupy'' it as part of the protest march.


He explained that those who entered the premises were later ejected by security officials while 25 of the protesters were temporarily detained and later released.
The spokesman stated that the demonstrators accused the embassy workers of "working closely with the German state to ensure that the processing of the largest number of deportations from Africa came from Nigeria''.


He emphasised that his agency would, however, investigate if there was a connection between the attempted occupation of the embassy on Monday and the recent paint attack on Wednesday night to the early hours of Thursday.

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BAUCHI:EXPLOSIONS RUCKS CHURCH OF CHRIST AND A FACTORY BUILDING

BAUCHI: EXPLOSION ROCKS BAUCHI CHURCH OF CHRIST AND A FACTORY BUILDING

An explosion on Wednesday night slightly damaged the building of Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) in Zango area of Bauchi metropolis.

Bauchi State Commissioner of Police, Alhaji Mohammed Ladan, confirmed the incident in a telephone chat with the News Agency of Nigeria.

He said the church building was slightly damaged, adding that there was no casualty.

Ladan also confirmed that another explosion occurred in a building located at the Bauchi Industrial Area, saying that there was also no casualty.

“We have commenced investigation into the two incidents and will do our best to apprehend the culprits,” the commissioner assured.

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MAIDUGURI:JOINT TASK FORCE SHOT 24 BOKO HARAM DEAD

JOINT TASK FORCE:24 BOKO HARAM MILITANTS SHOT DEAD IN MAIDUGURI

Despite using grenades, rocket propellers and improvised bombs to battle Nigerian soldiers in multiple attacks in Maiduguri, 24 Boko haram militants died in the counter attack by the Joint Task Force (JTF) on Operation Restore Order (ORO).

The militants carried out the attacks Monday night and early Tuesday, virtually locking down the Nigerian north eastern city that has been the epicenter of the Boko haram insurgency against the Nigerian government.

The persistent gunfire and multiple blasts kept the frightened residents of the neighborhood of Gwange indoors.

“It is terrifying,” said one resident. “We sat up the whole night because of gunshots and explosions. Everybody is inside because it is not safe to venture out.”

About a dozen explosions were heard in the area late Monday, with some reports suggesting a telecom mast and primary school were set ablaze.

Residents said the military then swarmed the area, engaging suspected Boko Haram Islamists in running gun battles through the night and into Tuesday.

JTF spokesman Lt.-Col. Sagir Musa said today that the Nigerian forces were able to overcome their attackers.

“Suspected Boko Haram terrorists launched attacks with rocket propellers, grenades and IEDs and gun fires at different locations in Maiduguri on Monday night.The locations are Zannari, Lagos Street and Gwange General Area,” he said.

Musa explained that the terrorists made use of residential homes in launching the attacks at different times in the night.

“They used civilian residences and homes as launch areas for the attacks at different times,” he said.

Musa said that the attacks were all repelled by the JTF and no soldier or civilian was killed.

“All the attacks were repelled, no soldier or civilian was killed. Twenty four suspected terrorists were killed,” he said.

Musa said that a number of weapons were recovered by the JTF after the operation. “The following items were recovered: one RPG tube, four RPG charges, one General Purpose Machine Gun, seven AK 47 rifles, one FNC rifle and 24 assorted magazines. Other are two pistols, IED materials, bows and arrows and cutlasses, among others,” he said.

Musa said that the city had returned to normal after the counter attack by his men.

“The JTF wishes to warn residents of the city to stop allowing their homes to be used as launch pads. Any person caught will be dealt with, according to the law,” he said.

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YOBE:HEAVY BOMBING IN POTISKUM,YOBE STATE

YOBE:Heavy Bombing In Potiskum, Yobe state

Heavy explosions and gunfire rocked Potiskum, in Yobe state Wednesday, residents said, after violence this week left at least 24 people dead in the sister city of Maiduguri in Borno state.

Blasts and shootings shook residents of the town, previously hit hard by violence blamed on the extremist group Boko Haram, residents said.

The police commissioner for Yobe state, where Potiskum is located, said there had been a bomb explosion and security forces afterward cordoned off the area and began house-to-house searches.
He did not say whether there had been any casualties.

“There was a bomb explosion this morning and the Joint Task Force has already cordoned off the area for the safety of residents,” Patrick Egbuniwe said, referring to a military and police task force.

“Right now, there is a house-to-house search by JTF to fish out the perpetrators of the terror attack.”
Residents said the unrest began just before 6:00 am.

“It started with a huge explosion followed by successive blasts and gunfire,” one resident told AFP.
The blasts and gunfire came from an area of the town where a bank, a military base and the office of the anti-narcotics agency are located, residents said.

Potiskum has been hard hit by Boko Haram attacks in recent months. On Tuesday, Nigeria’s military said 24 Boko Haram members were killed in violence that rocked the city of Maiduguri after the extremists launched attacks with bombs and rocket-propelled grenades.

The military has been regularly accused of abuses, including the killing of civilians. Tuesday’s statement said there were no civilian casualties and one soldier was wounded, but the claims could not be independently verified.

Maiduguri is considered the base of Boko Haram. The conflict is believed to have killed at least 2,800 people since 2009.

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