Boko Haram Intercepts Food Trucks, Sets Vehicles Ablaze On Maiduguri Route

Suspected Boko Haram/Islamic State West African Province (ISWAP) insurgents have intercepted a fleet of trucks transporting foodstuffs to Maiduguri, Borno State.

According to Daily Trust, the insurgents stopped two trailers and three dump trucks carrying beans bound for Maiduguri.

The incident reportedly occurred on Saturday along the Monnguno–Guzamala axis, between Burmari and Garin Kashim villages in Guzamala Local Government Area.

The insurgents reportedly set the trailer heads on fire before fleeing into nearby bushes.

One of the drivers said he abandoned his vehicle and escaped into the bush when the attack began.

According to him, the assailants were believed to be the same group that attacked trucks carrying maize and building materials in the area about five days earlier.

Another witness said the insurgents first deflated the vehicles’ tyres before setting them ablaze. He added that community members helped to put out the fire before it spread to the trailer bodies, allowing the drivers to escape unharmed.

Drivers operating on the route complained about the absence of security patrols, noting that, unlike other volatile roads in the state, soldiers are not strategically deployed along the axis.

As a result of repeated attacks, several truck owners have reportedly withdrawn their vehicles from the route.