Members of Boko Haram, a Nigerian Islamic militant group that recently had three of its leaders named ‘foreign terrorists’ by the US, attacked a prison in Yobe state, leaving four guards dead and freeing 40 inmates.
Yobe state police commissioner Patrick Egbuniwe said two of the attackers were killed in the shootout, but their bodies were carried away by their colleagues. He also added that the prison –which is located in the mostly Muslim northeast- did not house any Boko Haram members.
The attack is the latest in a wave of violence. A little over a week ago, three churches were bombed in the city of Kaduna on the border between the Muslim north and Christian south. Hundreds have been killed in the attacks.
The group claims it wants to form an Islamisc state in northern Nigeria without Western influence. The area is now under curfew, sparking the ire of residents.
President Goodluck Jonathan recently dismissed his national security advisor and defence minister after growing criticism over the rash of attacks.
