A cleric and some other persons have been killed as hundreds of people flee from Boko Haram attacks in Borno state.

According to a SaharaReporters report, at least three civilians, including an Islamic cleric, have been killed, while hundreds are fleeing their communities after multiple attacks by Boko Haram in Borno State.  

The insurgents attacked three villages — Auno, Sajeri and Dala Lawanti — in Konduga Local Government Area, near Maiduguri, between the hours of 6pm and 9:30pm on Monday, burning down scores of houses in the process.  Bukar Babagana, a resident of Sajeri, told SaharaReporters that the villagers fled their homes when the insurgents began shooting sporadically.  

“They came around 9:20pm, shooting sporadically, so we ran into bush. When we returned this morning, our houses had been looted and set ablaze, and food items carted away,” he said.  

“Three persons were killed. One Islamic cleric, Mallam Ali, was shot in the head, while two others were attacked with machetes.”   Another resident, Mohammad Abu, said “hundreds of people have fled to Ngomari airport area of Maiduguri to take refuge”.  

A security source said the attack on Auno was repelled by with troops with the support of local hunters after a two-hour exchange of fire power on both sides.   Auno village is a community along the Maiduguri-Kano Highway, some 24 kilometres away from the epicentre of the insurgency.