Seven months after abducting over 200 girls from Chibok community in Borno State, the outlawed Boko Haram sect has seized the troubled town.
According to a certain Enoch Mark, a Christian pastor whose daughter and niece are among the hostages, the militants reportedly attacked the embattled community about 4:00 pm (1500 GMT) on Thursday.
“Chibok was taken by Boko Haram. They are in control”, said Mark.
Mark said the attack on the town came after Boko Haram overran the towns of Hong and Gombi in neighbouring Adamawa State, following the group’s ouster from the commercial hub of Mubi.
“They came in and engaged soldiers and vigilantes in a gunfight.
“Some of us managed to escape. All the telecom towers in the town were destroyed during the attack with RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades).
“No-one can say what the situation in the town, in terms of destruction of properties”.
Also, the senator representing southern Borno, Ali Ndume, confirmed the attack to newsmen, saying that the insurgents destroyed communication masts and thus forced residents to desert the already troubled town.
Ndume said that he had received calls from fleeing residents about the attack that the town “was now under their (Boko Haram) control”.
“There is no telephone service now in Chibok, which is why it took time before the reports reached me”, he added.
The military was not immediately available to comment on the developments in Chibok at the moment.
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