BOKO HARAM SEIZES ANCIENT TOWN IN ADAMAWA

Boko Haram insur­gents have killed an unknown number of resi­dents of Gulak town and its environs in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

The insurgents have also taken control of the ancient town and occupied govern­ment buildings even as they shot several people who got trapped in the town. The in­surgents also burnt down some structures.

Sunday Sun gathered that there was exchange of gun­  shots that lasted for about two hours with government troops while residents took to their heels and ran into the bush, while many zoomed out of the town to save their lives.

The source said: “Hun­dreds of Boko Haram insur­gents carrying dangerous weapons just appeared from the bush and shot at soldiers and other security buildings in the town. We escaped death by the whiskers but some are trapped there. We heard they shot many people this morn­ing.”

Collaborating this, another resident of the town who gave his name as Samson said armed men thronged the town   at 5 pm on Friday and engaged soldiers in a sustained gun battle that lasted for few hours before the soldiers fled in vari­ous directions.

According to him, some displaced persons either trooped to Michika or Uba towns to take refuge after es­caping from Gulak, a devel­opment that caused pandemo­nium as news of the advance of the insurgents spread.

One of the fleeing residents, Aisha Buba who spoke with this reporter on the phone said after escaping to Michika, she realised the town was not safe as Boko Haram fighters were said to be close to the town.

Similarly, another lady, Ve­ronica said she had to quickly leave the town to Mubi which is far away from Gulak and relatively safer.

The Chief Press Secretary to the Acting Governor, Alh­aji Umaru Ahmadu, Mr Solo­mon Kumangar, confirmed the attacks on the town by the insurgents, saying several people were killed.

Kumangar also denied a claim that the Boko Haram fighters torched the residence of the Acting Governor in Gu­lak.

Several attempts made to speak to the Chairman of Madagali, James Watharda was not successful as his phone was switched off.