Brief – Troops were ready and waiting and easily foiled an attack by insurgents on Dikwa in Borno State on Wednesday, March 2.

The insurgents, thought to have been members of the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’way Wa’l-Jihād (JAS), more commonly known as Boko Haram, had earlier told individuals who were collecting firewood in the bushes that they should tell residents an attack was imminent.

Ya Kolo, a resident, told RNI reporter Bintu Goni they were asleep when the insurgents attempted to attack the town at about 11pm. “Gunshots, people shouting and vehicles driving around woke us. But, because of the warning, our troops were waiting for the fighters. A soldier saw them and raised the alarm. A battle ensued, until our soldiers launched a fire rocket which sent the insurgents away.”

Aisha Jamal