BOKO Haram has stepped up its
operations in neighbouring Cameroon
after it kidnapped the wife of the
country's deputy prime minister and a
religious leader in the northern town
of Kolofata this morning.
Known to operate across borders
with bases in Cameroon, Chad and
Niger, Boko Haram has generally left
Nigeria's neighbours alone up until
now. However, with pressure
mounting on Nigeria's neighbours to
act, the Cameroonian military has
been clamping down on the terrorist
sect recently, which prompted the
attack.
Early this morning, the militants
attacked Kolofata abducting the wife
of deputy prime minister Amadou Ali
and a local religious leader or lamido,
named as Seini Boukar Lamine, who
is also the town's mayor. Three
people are alleged to have been killed
in the attack and in a swift response,
security officials have whisked the
deputy prime minister away to safety.
He had been at home to celebrate the
Muslim feast of Ramadan with his
family but was taken unawares by the
suddenness of the attack. It is not
clear how the deputy prime minister
himself survived the attack, as it is
likely he was the original target.
A security spokesperson said: "I can
confirm that the home of vice prime
minister Amadou Ali in Kolofata came
under a savage attack from Boko
Haram militants. They unfortunately
took away his wife and they also
attacked the lamido's residence and
he was also kidnapped."
In recent weeks as Cameroon has
deployed troops to the border region,
joining international efforts to combat
the militants and has suffered an
increase in terrorist attacks as a
result. This morning's attack is the
third Boko Haram act of violence in
Cameroon since Friday.
Colonel Felix Nji Formekong, the
second commander of Cameroon's
third inter-army military region,
based in the regional headquarters
Maroua, said: "The situation is very
critical here now and as I am talking
to you the Boko Haram elements are
still in Kolofata town in a clash with
our soldiers."
At least four soldiers were killed in
the previous attacks. Meanwhile,
some 22 suspected Boko Haram
militants, who have been held in
Maroua since March, were on Friday
sentenced to prison sentences
ranging from 10 to 20 years.
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