30 killed in attack on governor’s convoy in Nigeria
Jihadist rebels linked to the Islamic State terror group have killed 30 members of the Borno governor’s convoy in an ambush in northeastern Nigeria. Sources within the security services have reported this. The regent survived the attack and was not injured.
The rebels attacked the convoy near the city of Baga with automatic rifles and grenade launchers. According to the sources, eight police officers, three soldiers, and four members of a governmental militia were killed.
The sources told AFP more bodies had been recovered following the incident causing an increase in the death toll, which was initially 15. “The tally has increased to 30 as many bodies were picked in the surrounding areas after the attack,” one of the sources said.
The governor, who has not injured himself, visited Baga as part of preparations for the return of thousands of residents who were expelled from the city by jihadists in 2014.
Ambushes
The roads in Borno state are dangerous due to the presence of jihadist militants from the Islamic State in West Africa (ISWAP) and their Boko Haram rivals. They regularly set up ambushes to kill or kidnap people on the way.
Since 2009, more than 36,000 people have been killed by violence in the region, and more than 2 million people who have fled their homes are still unable to go home.
