Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have reportedly abducted passengers along the Maiduguri/Kano highway.
According to report by Daily Trust, the incident happened around 5:50 p.m. on Monday between Garin Kuturu and Mannanari village near Auno, along the Damaturu path of the highway.
Sources said the insurgents blocked the highway before forcefully taking away some passengers.
It was gathered that the attack left hundreds of travellers and commuters stranded on both ends of the ever-busy road.
“There was an incident between Mannanari and Garin Kuturu where some Boko Haram fighters came out to block the upcoming vehicles, and some passengers were abducted.
“We are not sure of the number as we speak but certainly there was an abduction on Monday evening,” one of the sources said.
Residents of the community also narrated how many commercial drivers took refuge in the village momentarily when the insurgents were operating between Garin Kuturu and Mannanari villages.
“They came out with three wheelbarrow and I believe they were looking for food stuff. We don’t know how many people abducted but some commercial drivers came back and later returned to Maiduguri before reinforcements of military arrived, ” a member of the community said.
A passenger, who also craved anonymity, said he alongside others were stranded for hours.
“We were heading for Kano from Maiduguri when the driver got hinted about the attack and took a detour,” he told Daily Trust.
“We have been waiting for the military to clear the road but we don’t know when. We are stranded here.”
When contacted, the spokesperson of the Borno State command of the Nigerian police force, Nahum Kenneth, promised to get details of the incident and revert to our reporter.
He was however, yet to do so at the time of filing the report.
