For the second time within a week, Boko Haram attacked another primary school in Maiduguri, Borno State capital yesterday, setting ablaze classrooms and the headmaster’s office. Three policemen were killed in Bauchi when gunmen attacked a bank and a police station.

The Joint Task Force (JTF) said that the fire was not caused by an explosion. The body of a middle-aged man was found close to the school. There was no official confirmation of the victim’s identity by Press time.

Only last week, suspected Boko Haram members made a botched attempt at bombing Zajeri Primary School in the outskirt of Maiduguri. The incident occurred when the sect attacked Baga Market while on a reprisal mission over one of its members who was captured by traders in the market.

Yesterday’s attack on Gomari Costain Primary School was the second of such in recent times even as the Boko Haram claimed responsibility of the earlier attacks on schools. Spokesman to the sect, Abul Qaqa, said the group had attacked a primary school at Abaganaram in the city last Saturday, as a reprisal for the “unjust raiding of our local Islamiyya Quranic schools by the JTF members,” alleging that copies of Qur’an were mutilated.
“The attack and burning of that school was a warning to government to quickly caution the JTF operatives to desist from raiding our Quranic schools or risk worst attacks,” said Qaqa.

JTF spokesman, Lt-Col. Hassan Mohammed, said the fire consumed two blocks of classrooms at the primary school.
“Upon seeing the flames of the fire at about 6:30 in the morning, our men rushed to the scene and met that part of the school was burnt. We also met the police team there. There was no blast, but the police are currently investigating the cause of the fire.”

Also, the Police command’s spokesman, Samuel Tizhe, an Assistant Superintendent, confirmed the attack. His words: “We are, however, investigating circumstances that prompted the attacks on primary schools. Most of the schools affected by the assault were renovated recently.”
In Bauchi State, three policemen were killed when gunmen attacked a new generation bank in Jama’a Council area.
The attack which occurred at 9.00 pm claimed the lives of two policemen on duty, while another sustained injury and currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
An eyewitness said gunshots and loud explosion were heard around 9pm, a situation which caused pandemonium in the area as people ran for safety.

The eyewitness who does not want his name in print, said that the gunshots which lasted for one hour, caused panic in the area, saying, “we all ran inside the house and shut doors when we heard the gunshots in order not to be affected.”
A resident, Muktar Dan-Abba, said that he saw bodies of two policemen being taken away. A third body was discovered under the rubble of the burnt-out station.

“The police station has been burnt and three policemen were killed,” he said. Another resident, Usman Musa, said the police station caught fire after several explosions which also brought down its roof.
“A bank was also burnt and its vault emptied,” he added. Members of the Islamist sect Boko Haram, which has been blamed for a wave of attacks mainly in northern Nigeria, are thought to rob banks to fund their activities.
Speaking on the incident in a telephone interview, the Caretaker Chairman of Jama’are Local Government Area, Alhaji Adamu Aliyu Suleman, said he had gone round the affected areas to assess the situation, saying a police station and old generation bank were blown up by the gunmen.

He said police bomb experts detonated 12 explosives at the premises of the affected bank, saying “12 bombs were detonated in my presence this morning at the bank when I went to ascertain the situation.
“We are ready to support the security agencies to fish out the culprit that committed such act in order to ensure security of lives and property in the area,” Suleman said
When contacted on phone, the state Police Commissioner, Ikechukwu Aduba, who confirmed the incident, assured of giving more details later as he was on his way back to Bauchi from Jama’are where he had gone to asse