By Olarewaju Kola
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria
At least 12 people were killed late Tuesday night in an attack on a local community in Nigeria’s northeastern Borno State, a local chief and military source said Wednesday.
The attackers – thought to be members of the Boko Haram militant group – assaulted Warsala, a community located on a major highway linking Nigeria’s Borno and Yobe states.
“Boko Haram men attacked our community along the Maiduguri-Damaturu highway, killing 12 people,” a local chief from the area, Bulama Mohammed, told journalists after fleeing to Maiduguri, Borno State’s provincial capital.
He said the attackers had come to the village on motorcycles and opened fire on residents who attempted to flee after their homes were set ablaze.
A military source told Anadolu Agency in Maiduguri that Boko Haram had recently stepped up attacks in the area.
"They struck on the road at midnight Wednesday," he said, adding, "Army troops are now in control."
A local bus driver, Usman Ali, told Anadolu Agency by phone that community members were now burying their dead.
"I passed by the village at about 11.30am. Those who fled the community have now returned and are burying their slain relatives," he said.
