JTF and Boko Haram Gunfight In Yobe: At Least 11 Persons Have Been Confirmed Dead

At least 11 persons have been confirmed dead after gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram attacked a secondary school and a military check post in Damaturu, the Yobe State capital, military and witnesses said.

The spokesman of the Military Joint Task Force, JTF, in Yobe State, Eli Lazarus, confirmed the incident, which took place on Sunday night.

The attack was the first in the last nine months in the city, which is now under a dusk to dawn curfew. The attack also comes despite the heavy deployment of soldiers after the emergency rule declaration in the state.

Mr. Lazarus said two teachers and seven students lost their lives during the attack on Government Secondary School, Damaturu, while soldiers also killed two of the attackers.

Three soldiers were critically injured in the nocturnal clash that lasted over five hours, even as soldiers said three of the suspected Boko Haram members were caught alive and are currently in the custody of the security.

A doctor in the city’s General Hospital, Salem Umar, told Journalists that eleven corpses were brought to the hospital when he was on duty on Sunday.

“We had six other students admitted with various degrees of injuries and they are currently receiving treatment at the Accident and Emergency ward”, said Dr. Umar.

Witnesses who would only speak on the condition of anonymity told reporters that the gunmen stormed their hostels few minutes after 9 p.m. on Sunday and started shooting. They said scared students were forced to flee for dear lives.

“They caught some of our student colleagues and ordered them to take them to the teachers’ quarters after which they were also killed thereafter,” said one of the students who seemed broken and survived by hiding under a dormitory bed.