Update on Boko Haram Attack on Barrack: 350 Killed in 12hours

When will this madness come to an end? As much as 350 people were sent to their early grave on Friday in an invasion by the dreaded Boko Haram sect that shook the city of Maiduguri to its foundation. As the orgy of bloodbath in parts of the North East continue with clashes  between Boko Haram insurgents and the Special Forces in Borno State, many innocent Nigerians were caught in the cross fire.

The insurgents had attacked the 21 Armoured Brigade of the Nigerian Army in the wee hours of Friday and in about 12 hours, over 350 persons were killed, including the insurgents who attacked the military formation and their members who were held at the detention facility on the premises of the Brigade headquarters.

Also, the weapon stationed at the Brigade entrance to bomb trespassers failed to work. But why? Is there the possibility of sabotage from the inside? How come a critical weapon just failed at the last minute?

A security source said: "You know that when these people came, the Shilka [tank] gun simply did not fire. It disappointed, so the soldiers had to rely on other weapons to defend the barracks. The gun was positioned to defend that part of the barracks where the insurgents came from. If that gun had fired, they wouldn’t have got into the barracks near the detention facility."

It was gathered that the insurgents targeted the detention facility within the 21 Armoury Brigade where most of the hardened members of the sect were detained.

The military authorities were said to have received an intelligence report of an impending attack on the barracks and prepared for the insurgents. The insurgents attempted to divert the attention of the military by carrying out the attack in military uniforms and vehicles painted in military colours.

The insurgents’ advancement could not be halted because the Shilka tank, a multipurpose self-propelled anti-aircraft artillery weapon positioned to secure the barracks failed to work, to the surprise of the soldiers.

The military is already looking into the reason behind the disappointment of the critical weapon of war.

A security source told Punch that the Boko Haram members fought their way into the detention facility and they tried to free some of their members being held.

Boko Haram men burnt the MRS (the traditional medical facility in the barracks) and the detention facility.

The soldiers are now fully alert and they are on the look out for the insurgents.