MAIDUGURI, (Reuters) – A raid on an army base in northeast Nigeria and massacres of civilians in nearby villages at the weekend have left Boko Haram free to move unopposed in a strategic garrison town, witnesses and security sources said.
A Red Cross official who fled the town of Damboa said 50 people were killed in the attacks on the town and six surrounding villages. The violence also drove out 15,000 civilians, the highest number recorded in such a short time.
The insurgents have yet to establish any permanent presence in Damboa and nearby villages, but a power vacuum existing since Nigerian troops stationed there were pushed out two weeks ago enables them to move as they please.
Moving into the area could represent Boko Haram’s biggest strategic success since a military offensive dislodged it from several cities and towns in Borno state last year.
