What a terrible way to start the New Year.
On Saturday, January 4th, Boko Haram attacked and took over a multinational military base in Baga town, Borno State, BBC reports. The Multi-National Joint Task Force (MNJTF), comprises troops from Nigeria, Niger, and Chad.
Many residents were killed in the town during the invasion, as the terrorists burnt down structures and attacked people indiscriminately. Those who escaped did so by fleeing the town via boat to Chad.
Eyewitness accounts revealed that the soldiers fled during the invasion, causing further panic amongst residents.
“We were woken up by heavy gunshots, and we couldn’t identify where the shots were coming from.
They came through the north, the west and from the southern part of the town because the eastern part is only water. So, when we [went] towards the western part, we saw heavily armed Boko Haram men coming towards us.
The soldiers were trying to repel the attack but that wasn’t going to happen because a lot of the soldiers were without their guns and some were running into the town. When you see soldiers running away into the town – what are you to do, other than to just run away as well?,” said one of the survivors of the attack.
Commenting on the situation, Maina Maaji Lawan, a senator for Borno North, expressed frustration at the fact that soldiers fled instead of fighting back.
“There is definitely something wrong that makes our military abandon their posts each time there is an attack from Boko Haram,” he said.
