Suspected Members of dreaded Boko Haram sect on Friday morning laid ambush and abducted unspecified number of passengers along Damaturu- Buni Yadi- Biu road.

The road which is about 120 kilometres has remained the only safer means as linkage to people living in southern Borno senatorial district reach Maiduguri, the state capital following closure and danger posed on other closest roads. Sources said, after the abduction, security forces had to close down the road for motorists and passengers.

A driver who plies the road on daily basis, Mallam Ali Isa told our Correspondent that he had to follow through 400km Gombe-Potiskum- Damaturu- Maiduguri road after the news filtered that the road was not safe on Friday.

His words: ” The Damaturu-Buni Yadi- Biu Road was not safe. Today is Buni Yadi Market where thousands of people from the surrounding communities come for business, unfortunately, there was an attack on the road which led to abduction of unspecified number of travellers with looting of foodstuff, and this warrant the military to close down the road including the market”. Isa learnt.

A reliable Security Source while confirming the incident said, “Information received this morning 01 Feb, 2019 indicate that terrorists intercepted number of passenger vehicles coming from Maiduguri to Southern Borno through Damaturu/Buni Yadi/Biu road.

“The terrorists abducted unspecified number of passengers. Update will follow when available”. The Source said.

Fully armed members of Boko Haram sect had in December last year invaded Buni Gari town of Gujba Local Government area of Yobe state, and opened fire on a Military Base and some residential houses.

Buni Gari is about 70km drive from Damaturu the state capita located south along the only relatively safer road linking Buratai, the home base of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. General Tukur Buratai. A senior Security official who is not authorized to talk to the press confirmed the latest attacks on Military formation and residents of Buni Gari, but insisted that there was no detail of casualties at the time of going to press.

Two soldiers and six insurgents were initially said to have been killed in the attack. But sources said eight soldiers were killed.

“The death toll is now eight. Six more bodies of soldiers were later recovered and moved to Damaturu,” a military officer, who did not want to be named, told AFP.

A civilian militia fighting jihadists in the area confirmed the recovery of six more bodies of soldiers.

“All the eight dead soldiers are now in the morgue at the Specialist Hospital in Damaturu,” said a spokesperson for the militia, who asked not to be identified for fear of sanction.