Suspected Boko Haram Gunmen Kill 37 Near Maiduguri

GUNMEN suspected to be members of Islamist sect, Boko Haram, has killed 37 people in raids on five villages around Maiduguri, the Borno State capital, a military source and a local village defence group said yesterday.

The militants were said to have arrived on motorcycles and in four-wheel drive vehicles, fired into houses and shot fleeing locals late on Wednesday and on Thursday, Reuters quoted the military source said.

“Reports indicated a total of 37 people were killed by the insurgents during the separate attacks,” said the source, who asked to remain unnamed.

Malum Idrissa, a member of a village defence group, also known locally as the Civilian Joint Task Force, also told Reuters that the death toll was 37 in the attacks on villages about around 90 km (56 miles) from Maiduguri.