Hundreds of people from four villages near the devastated Borno town of Baga, have been forced to flee after a warning from Boko Haram militants, community leaders said on Tuesday.
Hundreds of people were reported killed in a recent attack on Baga and Doron Baga, which human rights group, Amnesty International referred to as the “deadliest” in the history of Boko Haram. Several residents of the attacked area had already fled to neighbouring Chad.
Abubakar Gamandi, head of the Borno State fishermen’s union, said residents from the affected villages told him that Boko Haram fighters had visited “and asked people to leave — or else”.
The Nigerian Tribune reports that one woman who fled Baga to Maiduguri, the Borno State capital on Monday, confirmed that she joined the crowds fleeing the four villages.
“When we came to Mile 90, we found it almost empty with some remaining residents staying behind to pick up personal belongings,” said Ma’agana Butari.
“We also found Budur, Kekenu and Yoyo deserted and we caught up with some of the residents moving towards Monguno,” the 32-year-old mother of five said by telephone from Maiduguri.
Boko Haram has intensified attacks in recent times as Nigeria’s general elections approach. The sect wants to create an Islamic State in Nigeria.
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