‘Boko Haram in full control of Bama’

Boko Haram Takfiri militants in Nigeria have gained full control of the northeastern town of Bama, witnesses say.

The witnesses, who managed to flee the area, said that the Takfiri militants launched a house-to-house search in and around the town on Thursday.

The militants reportedly killed several men suspected of being members of a local group resisting Boko Haram’s aggression in the area.

At least 180 people have been killed and over 26,000 others forced to flee Bama since the violence erupted in the town.

On Wednesday, officials in the northeastern state of Borno denied that the militants had captured Bama, which has a population of about 270,000.

Ahmed Zanna, a senator from Borno state, described the humanitarian situation in Bama as “unbearable.”

“So many bodies litter the streets and people are not allowed to even go and bury the dead ones. So the situation is getting worse and worse,” Zanna added.

Establishing control over Bama would leave the way open to attack the Borno state’s capital city of Maiduguri.

Last week, the Takfiri militants overran the border towns of Gwoza and Gamboru Ngala.

Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for a number of deadly gun and bomb attacks in various parts of Nigeria since the beginning of its militancy in 2009. Over 10,000 people have so far been killed in the assaults.

The Takfiri group — whose name means “Western education is forbidden” — says its goal is to overthrow the Nigerian government.

NGD/MHB/SS