Ahead of elections, Boko Haram invades Gombe city in Nigeria

THE MILITANTS STORMED THE CITY IN THE MORNING AND ADVANCED WITHOUT ANY RESISTANCE

KANO: Hundreds of Boko Haram militants on Saturday invaded the restive northeast Nigerian city of Gombe, firing heavy guns and throwing leaflets calling on residents to boycott upcoming general elections, locals told AFP.

“The Boko Haram gunmen are now at the Jeka-da-Fari roundabout in the centre of the city, firing indiscriminately and throwing pamphlets calling on people not to participate in the polls,” resident Ali Dahiru said.

Other witnesses said the militants stormed the city in the morning and advanced without any resistance.

A Nigerian fighter jet encircled the city but made no attempt to attack the insurgents, said witness Kabiru Na-Gwandu.

He said the residents had been warned to evacuate Gombe, which has been attacked by the insurgents previously.

The Boko Haram fighters appealed to residents to boycott the elections which had originally been planned to take place on Saturday before they were postponed until March 28.

Gombe has been repeatedly hit by suicide attacks and other bombings blamed on the Islamists in the six-year insurgency in Nigeria’s northeast.

Two weeks ago, two suicide bombers blew themselves up outside a stadium, just minutes after President Goodluck Jonathan had left the venue where he had given a campaign speech. Many people were injured.

In February 2012, Boko Haram launched its first offensive on the city, killing 14 people in a bomb attack on a police station.