By Ibrahim Abdul’Aziz
Yola
At least 75 Boko Haram militants were killed by local hunters in Maiha local government area of Adamawa state by local hunters who also recaptured the town.
Maiha town is about 25 kilometers from Mubi town that was captured about two weeks ago.
It on Monday fell into the hands of Boko Haram insurgents after a fierce battle with the Nigerian troops just as reports said the local hunters ambushed the sect members and killed dozens of them.
Local sources said the hunters were spurred on when they got information that the insurgents had killed a Nigerian Lt. Col. which prompted them to mobilise their local hunters who pursued the outlaws out of Maiha local government while killing them with bows and arrows.
“The hunters mobilised and gave the insurgents hot chest during which many Boko Haram sect members were killed. Over 75 were killed in the fight.”
Corroborating Baba Dauda, a local hunter said “we have to wake up and fight the bastards that kept plaguing our societies killing innocent souls.”
“People should brace up and start fighting them, we killed many of them. We are not afraid of being killed.”
It would be recalled that several soldiers were feared killed after members of the Boko Haram sect struck at Maiha areas, just about 25 kilometres away from the commercial border town of Mubi, earlier overridden by the insurgents.
Already, there is a fear for possible reprisal attack by the insurgents as thousands of residents of Maiha were already fleeing to Yola, the capital of Adamawa state.
Though sources said over 20,000 local hunters in Adamawa state had been mobilised to team up with the Nigerian troops to liberate some captured local government areas of the state from the hand of insurgents.
The state coordinator of Civilian JTF, Alhaji Bako Aliyu Goni, had confirmed that over 2,000 people, including youth vigilantes, local hunters, retired military, police and paramilitary operatives, artisans and petty traders had vowed to confront Boko Haram insurgents in the state.
They resolved to use Dane guns, sticks, bows and arrows to confront the insurgents as it came in the wake of emerging reports of Nigerian soldiers retreating from the war front as a result of alleged superior powers of the insurgents.
Reports suggested that Boko Haram insurgents were perfecting plans to attack the state capital, prompting the resolve of the people to rise against the move.