At least 29 persons were reportedly killed in attacks by Boko Haram insurgents on three local government areas of Borno State on Saturday.

The three local governments attacked are Gubio, Nganzai and Monguno.

Twelve persons have been confirmed dead in two separate road accidents on the Ogidi-Abatete Road, Anambra State and on Lambata-Suleja Road, Niger State.

The Boko Haram attacks came barely a day after the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), claimed that the terrorist group had been degraded and were only taken advantage of the COVID-19 to execute pockets of attacks.

It was reported that the group had on Tuesday killed 81 persons in a major attack on Gubio.

The group reportedly returned to another settlement in Gubio, Dunga village, where they struck on Saturday morning.

Just about the same time, the insurgents attacked Usmanti village in the Nganzai Local Government Area, killing 29 persons.

Credible sources told one of our correspondents that the insurgents invaded Usmanti around 11 am on Saturday.

“The insurgents executed a daring attack killing 29 persons in the village. The village though in Nganzai Local Government Area shares boundary with Gubio Local Government Area where 81 persons were killed on Tuesday,” one of the sources said.

The insurgents were also said to have attacked Monguno town, one of the most strategic towns in Northern Borno, which houses humanitarian operations and has structures accommodating over 100,000 internally displaced persons.

Eyewitnesses in Monguno revealed that the military was able to repel the terrorists.

They said land troops were assisted by air strike, rooting out the invading terrorists.

All attempts to confirm the report were futile as the spokesman for the Nigerian Army, Col. Sagir Musa, did not return a text message sent to his mobile line.

Meanhile, seven persons died in an auto crash which occurred around 5pm on Friday in Anambra.

The crash involved a tipper loaded with sand and a bus, with 19 persons on board.

It was gathered that the bus was conveying a family to a burial ceremony when it collided with the lorry.

An eyewitness, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the tipper had a tyre burst, which made it to lose control and ram into the bus.

He said, “No fewer than seven persons died on the spot while other passengers sustained injuries. Most of them were members of the same family going for a burial ceremony.”

The Sector Public Education Officer of Federal Road Safety Corps, Pascal Anigbo, confirmed the incident to our correspondent.

He said the corpses had been deposited at the hospital morgue, while the injured victims were receiving treatment.

He said, “About 5.20pm on Friday 12 June, 2020, we received a distress call on a fatal auto crash, which occurred near Buckie Polytechnic, along Ogidi-Abatete Road.

“Casualties involved included 17 adult males, one female adult and one female child totalling 19. They were all rushed to Twinkle Hospital, Ogidi by members of the community. The Sector Commander FRSC, Andrew Kumapayi condoles with the family of the deceased and wishes the injured victims quick recovery.”

In the Niger auto crash, five persons died while 12 others were injured on Saturday when a trailer carrying iron rods and 30 passengers lost control and fell while trying to ascend a hilly part of Lambata-Suleja Road.

The Federal Road Safety Corps Route Commander, in Suleja, Babatunde Onemola, told one of our correspondents that the trailer with the number plate UGG485XA was travelling from Lagos, adding that the weight of the iron rods made it impossible for it to climb road.

“The dead bodies have been deposited in the Sabon Wuse General Hospital while the injured victims were taken to the Federal Medical Centre, Gawu Babangida, for treatment,” he added.

count | 21

41 killed in Boko Haram attacks, Anambra, Niger auto crashes