Borno Highway Ambush: 142 Corpses Evacuated from Bushes

Defence Headquarters

There seems to be no backing down from the killing spree perpetuated by Boko Haram, as yet another 142 bodies were discovered and evacuated Thursday by officials of the Borno State Environmental Protection Agency (BOSEPA).

An official of the agency disclosed this yesterday, stating that 142 corpses had been evacuated from the highway and surrounding bushes after Tuesday's ambush on Maiduguri/Damaturu highway by the terrorist sect.

The official, who gave his name as Saidu Yakubu, while briefing reporters who were in Benisheikh town with the Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, said 87 corpses were evacuated from the road and bushes yesterday alone, even as the evacuation was still ongoing.

Three swollen corpses were sighted by journalists on the highway afternoon during the visit to the area.

Also, Shettima and his team were welcomed to the area by the morbid site of two compactor waste evacuation trucks, which were fully loaded with corpses.

Residents informed the governor that 14 civilians and five security personnel, comprising two soldiers and three policemen, were killed in Benisheikh town by the outlawed sect.

It was also gathered from residents that 15 trucks, 18 vehicles, eight motorcycles and six bicycles were set ablaze by the sect members, who were said to have been about 300 in number.

It was not clear where men of the Nigerian Army, who had taken over from the Joint Task Force, were at the time of the attack that gave so much room for the onslaught on innocent travellers on the highway and town.

The terrorists also set ablaze about 150 houses and shops and made away with 10 vehicles from Benisheikh town.

The military post in the area and the local government secretariat were also attacked with rocket-propelled grenades.