No fewer than three hundred and fifteen Nigerian soldiers fled the border town of Malam Fatori , Bornowhen Boko Haram took control of the town Saturday.
A senior official in the Niger town of Diffa near Nigeria told AFP on condition of anonymity that Boko Haram had been trying to wrest control of the Malam Fatori from Federal troops since Wednesday.
“The town of Malam Fatori was taken by Boko Haram after violent fighting with the Nigerian army overnight Wednesday to Thursday,” said the official in Diffa, where thousands of refugees from the conflict have fled to.
315 Nigerian soldiers fled over the border to Diffa. Thirteen who were wounded were treated in a Diffa hospital, while the others have been repatriated.
The official’s version of events differed from the one given by a Nigerian senator, who on Thursday spoke of the attack but did not say that the town had been taken.
Senator Maina Maaji Lawan said the insurgents met stiff resistance from soldiers from a multi-national task force in the region that includes troops from Nigeria, Chad and Niger.
Lawan however also said that soldiers were later forced to flee after being overpowered by the insurgents. He said that 21 civilians were killed.