Despite ceasefire claims, soldiers kill 25 Boko Haram militants in Damboa

Despite claims of a ceasefire between the
Nigerian government and extremist sect,
Boko Haram, soldiers on Sunday night shot
dead 25 members of the sect during an
attack on Damboa town of Borno state.
This was disclosed by security officials.
The attack on Damboa crystallised the
doubts thousands of Nigerians expressed
over the announced ceasefire deal the
federal government said it signed on Friday
with Boko Haram.
An official of a local vigilante group,
Muhammad Gava, who first confirmed the
attack and said the terrorists stormed
Damboa at about 5pm on Sunday.
“My members of the vigilante group in
Damboa had informed me early this
morning that the attack was repelled and
more than two dozen of them were killed,
said Mr. Gava.
He added that “the gunmen, according to our
Vigilante members in Damboa, came from
the direction of Sambisa forest and driving
several pickup vans and some military-like
armoured personnel carriers”.
“There was an attack on Damboa yesterday
and our soldiers had effectively repelled
them and killed 25 of them during a
shootout.
“The soldiers were able to recover several
ammunition including a Buffalo Armoured
Personnel Carrier which the terrorists
abandoned,” he said.
Boko Haram on July 17 hoisted their flags in
Damboa after a deadly gun battle that killed
several soldiers and a Lieutenant Colonel
commanding the military base in Damboa.
Damboa is 85km away from Maiduguri,
Borno state capital. It also shares borders
with Sambissa forest where Boko Haram has
its largest training camp.