by Panshak Ibrahim

A man suspected to be a leader of the Boko Haram insurgents escaped a military raid on his hideout in the Ugwan Dosa area of Kaduna on the night of Wednesday, Match 18.

The Boko Haram leader, identified as Mallam Muhammed Mai Borno, reportedly escaped with his wife through an escape door, blocked with cartons but painted to look like a brick wall fence of the house.

The raid which was preceded by several hours of surveillance, was reportedly a joint operation by soldiers, policemen and operatives of the Department of State Service.

The building was said to have been leased out to the suspect, who recently moved in with his wife late last year. The owner of the property had been arrested by security agencies.

A resident of the area said the suspect had been tight-lipped about his background and family members ever since he moved into the house.

He said: “When we asked after his children, he said they were in school somewhere in the North-East and we discovered that he was always travelling and we never suspected any foul play until we started hearing gunshots in the night.”

Another resident of the area, Usman Ahmed, revealed that security operatives arrived the area around 12 midnight, saying: “I was woken up by the gunshots. Initially I thought it was a robbery attack and I called the leader of the vigilante group in the area who assured me that there was no cause for alarm.”

“When the gunshots persisted I tried to call some of my neighbours that I can remember their phone numbers, it was then that one of them told me that he sighted security men from his window and that he believed the gunshots were from them. I became comfortable and told my family to go back to bed assuring them that all was well.”

Kolapo Olapoju