The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) and the Borno State Government have said that seven policemen were killed while three other policemen were missing when Boko Haram gunmen launched attacks in the Bama Mobile Police Base station last Sunday.
Speaking yesterday at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), where the injured five policemen were receiving treatment, the Borno State Police Commissioner, Lawal Tanko and the state Deputy Governor, Zanna Umar Mustapha, said contrary to the Joint Task Force (JTF) reports that a policeman and two soldiers were killed in the attacks, seven policemen were actually killed. They noted that three others were still missing before five of the wounded policemen and three soldiers were admitted at the UMTH for treatment.
Tanko said: “These are the five policemen being admitted into this hospital for the injuries they sustained in the Bama Boko Haram attacks on our station last Sunday. We confirmed that seven were killed while repelling the gunmen from torching Bama Mobile Police Base on Bama-Gwoza Road at about 6am.”
He said three other officers are still missing, as the police authority and family members of affected policemen were yet to locate their whereabouts.
While sympathizing with the wounded and injured policemen and soldiers, Mustapha donated N2.65 million to offset the medical bills of the injured policemen and soldiers.
Cameroon, safe haven for insurgents
In a related development, recent attacks in parts of Borno State by the Islamic fundamentalist group, Boko Haram, have been linked to the safe haven which the Republic of Cameroon provides for them.
This was revealed yesterday by authoritative sources within the Presidency who spoke to Vanguard on condition of anonymity.
Said a source: “You know Bama and some other places in Borno where these terrorists have carried out raids in recent times are located close to our border with the Republic of Cameroon.
“What they normally do is to infiltrate these border towns, carry out attacks and then run back to Cameroon. Once they re-enter Cameroon, they are beyond the reach of our military and security forces.”
10 die in auto accident
Meanwhile, 10 persons, yesterday, lost their lives in an auto accident in Zamfara State.
The tragedy occurred when two commercial vehicles, a Toyota Corolla and Volkswagen Golf car had a head-on collision near Furfuri village, on the outskirts of Gusau, the state capital.
According to an eye witness, drivers of the two vehicles, conveying seven people each were on top speed trying to overtake other vehicles, but lost control and collided. Four passengers died instantly while six others died later while receiving medical attention.
The remaining passengers who survived the accident are presenly receiving medical treatment at the Federal Medical Centre Gusau.
Confirming the accident, Spokesman of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Garba Lawal, explained that the accident which he described as one of the worst this year, could have been averted had the drivers been more carefull. He said: “The drivers were on top speed, and we have been telling them every day that speed kills, but they don’t listen.”
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