Boko Haram insurgents have attacked a community near Chibok town, injuring scores and destroying over 60 houses.

Some residents of Takulashi community who fled to Chibok, some 15 kilometres from where insurgents kidnapped over 200 schoolgirls on April 14, 2014, said they fired into houses at about 11am on Sunday though the news of the attack only filtered into Maiduguri, the state capital yesterday evening due to the remoteness of the area.

“They were not many, but were very armed, shooting and threatening to kill everyboy, but we had fled before they came. They set fire on our houses, even throwing bombs into houses. They burnt down more than 60 houses,” a resident, Bitrus Ali, said on phone.

This is even as President Muhammadu Buhari said yesterday that his government is open to modifying the December deadline on ending Boko Haram in the country.

Represented by the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Gabriel Olonisakin, Buhari made the remark at the annual chief of army staff (COAS) conference yesterday in Dutse, Jigawa state.

He said new operational exigencies may require a modification of the December deadline of ending insurgency.

Olonisakin said “Let me emphasise that the time frame given is only a guide line and if exigencies of multiple operations across the country advices a modification the federal government will not hesitate to do so in order to address the flash points that are rearing their heads in this country.”

He said the army must therefore develop new strategies to address current security challenges facing the country and ensure total elimination of insurgents.

“Despite the achievements of the military in combating terrorism in the Northeast, the challenges of terrorism in other parts of the country remains issue of serious national concern with the potential to impede our change drive,” he said.

Boko Haram has intensified its attacks after the president declared the December ultimatum to end the insurgency, executing bomb attacks on civilian targets as well as the military’s.

The military suffered serious attacks by Boko Haram recently with dozens personnel reportedly killed in their effort to rout the insurgents in Sambisa forest.

•Based on eports from Daily Sun and Daily Trust.

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