A gun battle between security forces and suspected members of the Boko Haram insurgency at an entry “stop and search point” at the northern axis of Biu along Maiduguri highway has left 37 people dead, residents said.
Witnesses told Channels Television that suspected members of the Boko Haram insurgents from Mirnga area, in an attempt to smuggle the Improvised Explosive Devises (IED) into Biu town, were trapped at a military check point and a gun battle with security forces led to the detonation of the IED, killing scores of people.
The entry check point is being manned by the military and some members of the youth volunteer popularly called “Civilian JTF”.
A member of the Biu Youth Volunteer involved in the rescue of those affected in the clash who pleaded anonymity said “17 members of the insurgents were killed in the gun battle while 20 other innocent civilians mostly hawkers, travellers, some members of the civilian JTF and farmers returning home were affected at the scene”.
He said 23 others who sustained injuries are being treated at the Biu General Hospital.
He said, “Two members of the Boko Haram insurgents were transporting the IED to Biu town from Mirnga area with the aim of wreaking havoc on innocent people when security men at the entry point were promptly alerted leading to the combat in efforts to protect entering the town with the explosive devices.”
In the process according to him, other members of the insurgents stormed the scene with a view to fighting the security men manning the check point.
A hospital soured told Channels Television that “37 corpses were brought to the hospital after the explosion and subsequent clashed between security forces and the Boko Haram militants”.
Biu is the largest commercial and administrative town located in the southern part of Borno State, north east Nigeria some 187 KM away from Maiduguri the state capital.
Tuesday’s blast is coming five days after a suicide bomber hit Biu central market killing 15 civilians and injuring several others.
Authorities are yet to confirm the incident which occurred around 1:00 in the afternoon.
