Photo: 200L UNIMAID student, 6 other passengers killed in Boko Haram ambush along Damboa- Maiduguri road

At least 7 passengers were killed and many injured after suspected Boko Haram terrorists ambushed troops of the Operation Lafiya Dole escorting commercial vehicles from Maiduguri to Damboa around Bulabulin area in Borno State on Saturday, January 28th.

Two commercial vehicles were also hijacked by the terrorists and driven into the Sambisa forest area in the attack which took place at about 11am.

A witness, Dauda Pambe, informed Premium Times that he was among the travellers being escorted by soldiers from Maiduguri to Biu on Saturday morning when the gunmen launched the ambush attack.

"We were somewhere between Bulabulin and DogonWaya villages when the Boko Haram gunmen opened fire on the vehicles ahead of us in the convoy”, said Mr. Pambe.
“The first vehicle was hit on the tire and the driver could not proceed so the passengers alighted and fled into the bush; the second vehicle was a pickup van carrying many passengers, and many of them could not escape”.

"They exchanged fire for sometime as many of us remained in the vehicles ducking to avoid being hit with bullet. When the shooting stopped and the Boko Haram fighters left, we had about seven passengers that were killed and some soldiers too were injured", the witness said.

The bodies of the victims have been deposited at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital morgue. One of the victims has been identified as Usman, a 200 level Business Education student of the University of Maiduguri student. He was on his way home for a one week vacation after the 3rd semester examination.