Troops kill many Boko Haram terrorists in Adamawa, Army says

The troops of the 115 Task Force Battalion deployed at Lassa in Borno State were the first to respond to a distress call from vigilantes at Maikadiri village on movement of suspected Boko Haram terrorists along Road Maikadiri - Shuwari enroute Michika, according to a statement by Acting Director of Army Public Relations, Colonel Sagir Musa.

"The troops immediately organised blocking positions and swooped on the terrorists which led to an exchange of fire.

"The terrorists attempted to escape, but were intercepted and suppressed with heavy volume of fire," the statement read.

Troops of 143 Battalion Gulak also arrived as reinforcement and engaged the terrorists "on two front coordinated attacks" that reportedly led to the complete routing of the terrorists, with many fleeing the scene.

Items recovered from the terrorists include one Ford vehicle, two Toyota Starlet vehicles loaded with foodstuff, one motorcycle and one tyre inflating machine.

The terrorists reportedly hastily evacuated most of their corpses under the cover of darkness before the Army could explore the scene of the gun fight early on Tuesday.

Colonel Musa assured members of the public that the situation is now under control as the entire area is dominated by troops.

"Calm has since returned to the city and inhabitants of the town are hereby enjoined to report the presence of strange faces in their localities and go about their normal businesses," he said.

Michika residents fled in fear of Boko Haram attack

Before the Army's statement on Tuesday, residents of Michika were reported to have fled for their lives when the shootout between troops and Boko Haram commenced on Monday.

"We are hearing gunshots and the fight is raging on," a resident, identified simply as Idris, told the News Agency of Nigeria.

The Adamawa State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Ahmad Sajoh, also disclosed that the terrorists burnt a bank and some shops in Michika after entering through Kirchinga village in neigbouring Madagali local government.

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, took to his Twitter account (@atiku) on Monday to express sadness over the attack.

The Adamawa native, a former vice president, called on the government to ensure that every Nigerian enjoys their right to peaceful living.

"Deeply saddened by reported attacks in Michika Local Government Area, in Adamawa State.

"I urge the FG to act swiftly by directing our security agencies to rein in and ensure peace is restored. Every Nigerian deserves a right to peaceful living," he posted.

Since Boko Haram's insurgency escalated in 2009, it has killed over 27,000 people and displaced millions in the northeast region, with its operations also extending to border countries like Cameroon, Chad and Niger.