Boko Haram: Adamawa town seized

Thousands have fled their homes as Boko Haram insurgents early Saturday seized Kirchinga, hometown of Adamawa State acting Governor Umaru Fintiri, hours before he took part in the PDP governorship primaries.

Residents of Madagali, Gulak and Michika towns and nearby villages fled their homes Friday through Saturday following a Boko Haram advance after repelling a military offensive to retake Madagali town, seized by the militants last month.

    "All the residents of Madagali,
     Gulak and Michika have fled
     their homes to the mountains
     and Mubi town after soldiers
     retreated from Madagali
     where they made a failed
     attempt to push out the
     insurgents and the recapture
     the town," said Bello
     Alaramma who also ran away
     from Gulak to Mubi, 76
     kilometres ( 48 miles ) away.

    "Boko Haram are now in control
     of Gulak," headquarters of
     Madagali local government
     (municipality) in Adamawa state
     Alaramma said.

Defence headquarters spokesman, Major General Chris Olukolade, declined to comment on Boko Haram seizure of more towns in the region.

Residents of Gulak became apprehensive when troops drove into the town in vans, trucks and armoured cars firing shots in the air in retreat after they were overpowered by the militants in Madagali, 20 kilometres away, said Ayuba Daniel, a Gulak resident.

    "Around 5 :00 pm (1600 GMT)
     yesterday (Friday ) we started
     seeing hordes of soldiers in
     vans, trucks and armoured cars
     driving through Gulak firing
     shots in the air and soon
     afterwards people from
     Madagali started trooping in
     telling us Boko Haram were on
     their way," Daniel said.

    "This forced us to flee to Mubi
     and nearby mountains to
     escape Boko Haram attack," he
     said.

Residents of Mubi, 200 kilometres (125 miles ) from the state capital, Yola, said the town was “flooded” with people from Michika , Gulak and Madagali.

    "Mubi is now flooded with
     people from Michika, Madagali,
     Gulak, Uba and other villages
     who have been trooping in
     since last night," said
     Muhammad Maishanu, a Mubi
     resident.

    "The influx is causing
     apprehension among people in
     Mubi, who fear the influx would
     attract Boko Haram who have
     attacked Mubi before," he said.

Mubi, the commercial hub of the state, has seen several attacks blamed on Boko Haram.

At least 40 people were killed in June when an explosion ripped through a soccer pitch in Mubi after a match.

In October 2012 at least 40 students of a polytechnic college in the town were shot dead in attacks on student hostels.

Both attacks were blamed on Boko Haram, the sect whose heightened deadly attacks in the past weeks have won for them seizure of some key towns in Borno , including Gwoza and Bama, as well as Buni Yadi in neighbouring Yobe state.

PM