Boko Haram may overrun Maiduguri; Attacks Sajeri on outskirts of state capital; Imam, one other killed, many houses burnt; NUJ calls for release of detained Daily Trust Editor 

By Abdullahi Isah, Maiduguri

At least two people were killed, while  over ten  houses were burnt when Boko Haram insurgents attacked Sajeri community on the outskirts of Maiduguri metropolis.

A resident of the area, Ibrahim Garba said the insurgents, who came at about 10:09pm on Monday started shooting sporadically and setting houses ablaze.

“The insurgents started shooting sporadically into the air and setting houses ablaze. We had to fled for our lives. When the shooting subsided we came back and saw that our houses had been burnt and our Imam was killed by a bullet while my neighbour was macheted to death,” Garba said.

He called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the military to something urgently before the insurgents overrun Maiduguri, the state capital, as Sajeri is also part of the metropolis.

In  a related development, troops of Operation Lafiya Dole  have successfully repelled an attack on Auno village of Konduga local government of Borno state.

According to the locals of the area, the insurgents came at about 9;30 pm on Monday but were successfully repelled by the troops of the Nigerian Army.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) Borno state council has strongly frowned at the continued detention of the Northeast Bureau Chief of Media Trust, Mallam Uthman Abubakar.

The NUJ in a statement signed by the state Secretary, Mohammed Ibrahim said “The Nigerian Union of Journalists NUJ Borno Council having exhausted all diplomatic avenues to secure the release of Daily Trust Newspaper Bureau Chief Uthman Abubakar strongly condemns his continued detention by the military.”.

The statement said further that “NUJ  is deeply saddened by the military’s arrest of two of its members and staff of Daily Trust newspapers, Uthman Abubakar and Ibrahim Sawab (released Monday 7/1/19) in Maiduguri on Sunday 6th January 2019 following a publication on military operations.

“The Union strongly believes that the country’s Armed Forces is far greater in capacity, equipment and experience than the Boko Haram insurgents hence all of us have no fear that the Forces can defeat the insurgents on any front and that has been the guiding reason for reporting military operations.

NUJ believes the report of Daily Trust of Sunday 6/1/19 was misinterpreted by our gallant military which was only promoting a show of force and not contrary.”

The Union, therefore, urged the concerned authority to release Abubakar, who was still in custody as at the time of filing this report, without further delay.

The statement stressed that Uthman Abubakar has health issues and should not be allowed to undergo such detention, noting that the Presidency through the SSA to The President on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, had ordered his release and wondered why such an order has not been effected.

The statement further pointed out that the Pen Profession and Armed forces have enjoyed a long cordial relationship both before and during the Boko Haram insurgency which has lasted almost ten years and urged that those concerned should not play into the hands of the insurgents who will be happy with this negative trend but remain united so as to fully overcome the agents of terror.