At least nine people, including a Chinese national, have been killed and 10 Chinese citizens were abducted by Nigerian Islamic terror group Boko Haram late on Saturday night.
The attacks took place in Borno State at a time when Nigerian president Goodluck Jonathan and several other African leaders were in Paris, discussing on how to handle the Boko Haram crisis in the country.
Boko Haram Militants reportedly killed nine people, including a Chinese national, and kidnapped 10 others in the Kuseri Village on Saturday night. The incident took place at the campsite used by Chinese road workers in Chibok, which is coincidentally just meters away from the school, from where over 200 Nigerian girls were abducted by the same group recently, Nigerian news source Vanguard reported.
The Chinese workers' campsite is usually guarded by Cameroon's elite forces. However on Saturday, many soldiers were sent to Yaounde for a military parade. According to Nigerian officials, Boko Haram came heavily armed and started shooting at the campsite.
The few soldiers who were present retaliated the firing, which lasted for over three hours. During the attack, Boko Haram militants were able to abduct 10 Chinese nationals, while another was killed.
The Nigerian government has been trying to tackle the kidnapping of schoolgirls - an issue that gained international attention. It's already been about two months since the abduction of the 200-plus girls. However, the crisis remains unresolved yet.
The abduction of the Chinese nationals will only matters increasingly difficult for the Nigerian government.
Meanwhile, in another incident, Boko Haram militants reportedly kidnapped five policemen and killed one in Banki, a border town with Bama and Cameroon Republic.
