Terrorist group Boko Haram early this morning stormed Maidugiri, capital of Borno State, in a bid to take over the city for the second time in the space of a week.

Terrorist group Boko Haram early this morning stormed
Maidugiri, capital of Borno State, in a bid to take over the city
for the second time in the space of a week.
The insurgents engaged the Nigerian military in a gun battle for
hours, but were successfully repelled by the soldiers.
Sahara Reporters reports that a rocket fired by Boko Haram
killed ten people in a water packaging factory and a nearby
church. Military sources said the battle is still ongoing with
military and local vigilantes chasing militants towards Muina
garage area of Maiduguri.
READ ALSO: Goodnews: Nigeria Purchases Czech Weapons To
Fight Boko Haram
Residents told AFP by telephone that the Islamist assault began
at roughly 3am this morning and that fierce fighting was taking
place at the southern edge of the city between the insurgents
and troops backed by vigilantes.
“The whole city is in fear,” said resident Adam Krenuwa. “People
are afraid of what will happen if Boko Haram defeats the security
forces.”
Boko Haram’s last attempt to take over Maiduguri last week ago
was repelled by the military.
However, in that assault, the insurgents captured the town of
Monguno just 125 kilometres  outside the city and seized control
of a military base.
According to Vanguard, the situation forced many residents on
the outskirts of the city to run into town as churches were
hurriedly closed.
Daily Trust reports that “intense pressure” by troops from Chad
and Cameroon along the borders has unsettled the insurgents
who are now looking for soft targets.
A long trench dug around Maiduguri is said to be giving Nigerian
troops an edge over the insurgents who are finding it difficult to
storm the city except through major roads.
Resident Fannami Dalwaye said the fighting at 9am was
concentrated in Mulai, three kilometres south of the city, and
more vigilantes were seen deploying to the area as
reinforcements.
READ ALSO: 123 Boko Haram Militants Killed In Cameroon
“People are fleeing into the city,” Dalwaye said.
However, Thisday reports that not less than 82 persons were
killed in today’s attempted invasion of Maiduguri by the Islamic
fundamentalists.
One of the members of the vigilante group, Abba Modu, who
was involved in the battle against the terrorist group claimed that
not less than 500 insurgents were killed at the points of entry
into the town where the insurgents tried to invade from.
Security sources who spoke anonymously to Thisday, said not
less than 70 insurgents were killed, while ten innocent civilians
were caught in the attempted invasion of the state capital.
Security sources also said that 50 insurgents were killed in
Dalwa, about 20 kilometres from Maiduguri, where the battle
was fiercest as the insurgents met their Waterloo.
Meanwhile, the army moved more than 70 female soldiers out of
the town last week because of reports that the town will soon be
attacked.