Boko Haram terrorists on Wednesday attacked Gubio, a town in Borno state, displacing residents numbering thousands.
It was learnt that the insurgents invaded the town around 5pm, shooting sporadically and setting many houses on fire.
A soldier from the army’s 5 brigade stationed in Damasak also said that the terrorists have been around Gubio communities for at least three months as a result of the relocation of the brigade headquarters from the town.
“There is no soldier in Gubio, and that is why those guys moved in. They burnt the INEC office and some other houses,” he said.
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“As I am speaking, troops have been reinforced from the brigade and now in face-off with the insurgents.”
Jack Vince, a journalist resident in Maiduguri, also confirmed that “for about two weeks now no military post from Damasak on the border with Niger Republic to my community in Maiduguri, Magumeri, Kareto, Gubio and so on,” he said.
“Gubio was dislodged, soldiers ran to Damasak and Maiduguri leaving that wide expanse of land unguarded.”
A source told TheCable that soldiers pulled out because the locals were not cooperating with them in fighting the insurgents.
“Thousands of people dislodged from Gubio have ran to the bush, trying to find their way to Maiduguri,” he said.