by Akan Ido

The Boko Haram militant sect apparently did not halt attacks on targets during the recently passed Eid-el-Fitr celebrations as widely expected. There were reports of two separate killings at different Mosques in Biu, Borno State on Monday and Tuesday.

Observers had expected the militant group to halt its attacks due to the ongoing negotiations rumoured to be going on between it and the government.

The first attack reportedly occurred in the early hours of Monday in a mosque during early morning prayers when two gunmen shot and killed a worshipper at close range.

A second incident which happened in another mosque involved a muslim cleric who was also shot at close range before men of the Joint Task Force, Operation Flush II, could arrive the scene of the crime to salvage the situation.

The spokesman for the Borno State police command, Mr. Gideon Jibrin confirmed both incidents, he said the police headquarters got reports from the Biu Area Commander of the killing of two people, including an Islamic cleric, at separate locations in the state.

He said no arrests have been made but efforts are on to identify and apprehend the culprits with a view to prosecuting them.

It remains a mystery when the rumoured talks between the federal government and the leadership of the Boko Haram Islamic group will start to yield the desired fruit.