According to Daily Trust, witnesses reported that on Tuesday night, repentant Boko Haram insurgents attempted to free their detained colleagues accused of drug offences by invading a police station in Maiduguri.
The attackers, dressed in military camouflage and armed with cutlasses, forcibly entered the station, injuring some police officers and causing chaos. Despite the efforts of police operatives to resist the attackers, reinforcements were needed to regain control of the situation.
Eyewitnesses described a scene of violence and mayhem as the insurgents stormed the police station, leaving some officers wounded and attacking bystanders.
Picture for illustration purpose
While the police attempted to repel the attackers, they were eventually overwhelmed, leading to reinforcements being called in.
Although some detainees managed to escape during the chaos, the majority of the suspects remained in custody. The incident highlighted the ongoing security challenges in the region and the determination of insurgent groups to free their comrades.
“About 20 of the attackers forced their way into the police station and escaped with some of the detained members.
“They left some policemen on duty wounded; they also went on rampage attacking passers-by with cutlasses, before reinforcements by the CRACKS team arrived,” he said.
Another witness noted that the police at the station tried their hardest to resist the attackers, but they were eventually overpowered and subdued.
“Some of the police operatives took to their heels but returned when reinforcements came. We were told that the actual suspects could not be freed, only some people at the counter escaped.
“It was a sad incident,” he said.