Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have abducted several passengers along the Maiduguri/Kano highway in northeastern Nigeria.
According to sources from the Daily Trust newspaper, the attack occurred on Monday evening between the villages of Garin Kuturu and Mannanari, near the town of Auno, which is situated along the Damaturu highway.
Eyewitnesses reported that the insurgents blocked the highway and forcefully took away some of the passengers. The exact number of people abducted is still unclear, but the incident has left hundreds of travellers and commuters stranded on both ends of the busy road.
“There was an incident between Mannanari and Garin Kuturu where some Boko Haram fighters came out to block the upcoming vehicles and some passengers were abducted,” a source told Daily Trust.
Residents in the area recounted how many commercial drivers took refuge in their community temporarily when the insurgents were operating in the vicinity of the two villages. One resident said, “They came out with three wheelbarrows and I believe they were looking for food stuff. We don’t know how many people were abducted but some commercial drivers came back and later returned to Maiduguri before reinforcement of military arrived.”
A passenger, who wished to remain anonymous, shared his experience of being stranded for hours after the driver of his vehicle was alerted about the attack and took a detour. “We were heading for Kano from Maiduguri when the driver got hinted about the attack and took a detour,” he said. “We have been waiting for the military to clear the road but we don’t know when. We are stranded here.”
