Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have attacked Dapchi, the headquarters of Bursari Local Government Area of Yobe State, setting ablaze a divisional police station and several heavy-duty trucks belonging to a road construction company.
The attack occurred in the early hours of Tuesday, while residents were asleep.
A resident, who spoke to Channels Television on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said the assailants stormed the town at about 1:00 a.m., firing sporadically.
“They arrived around 1 a.m., shooting sporadically. We were asleep and later saw flames. By early this morning, around 6 a.m., when we went out, we saw that the Divisional Police Station had been set on fire, along with some trucks belonging to the road construction company,” the source said.
The resident added that it was unclear whether there were any casualties.
“As a matter of fact, I don’t know whether anyone has been killed or injured. Perhaps that information will emerge later,” he said.
As of the time of filing this report, police authorities in Yobe State had yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
In recent weeks, Dapchi and the surrounding communities have experienced sporadic attacks, reportedly due to the absence of military personnel in the area. Currently, only operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, supported by local vigilante groups, are present.
Dapchi gained international attention in 2018 following the abduction of more than 100 students from the Government Girls’ Science and Technical College. One of the abductees, Leah Sharibu, remains in captivity.
