By Olarewaju Kola
MAIDUGURI, Nigeria
The Nigerian military confirmed late Sunday repelling an attack by Boko Haram militants on Maiduguri, the provincial capital of Nigeria's northeastern Borno state.
"Terrorists who attacked Maiduguri in the early hours of today have been successfully repelled," the Ministry of Defense said in a statement.
"Scores of the terrorists have died in the course of the attack, while many of them were also captured with wounds," it added.
The military said it had seized weapons and ammunitions from the fleeing militants.
Boko Haram insurgents attacked Njimtilo, a community located west of Maiduguri, in the morning and clashed with security forces.
Babagana Mohammed, a member of the local vigilante group, told The Anadolu Agency earlier that scores of militants were killed in the clashes.
"Many of us joined the military early in the morning to pursue Boko Haram," he said. "We followed them as military aircraft also struck them from the air."
Mohammed asserted that "more than 100 Boko Haram militants were killed" while some vigilantes also died.
"More than 20 corpses have been admitted to the hospital's emergency unit now," a source at the State General Hospital told AA, requesting anonymity.
Curfew has already been imposed on Maiduguri and all roads have been closed.
AA reporter who attempted to move round the city to observe the situation was turned back by military troops at a checkpoint.
"We've been ordered to close all roads because there is a problem somewhere in the city and our men are fighting the terrorists," a military trooper told our reporter.
In its statement, the military expected the curfew to be lifted as soon as the ongoing mopping operation is concluded.
"Citizens will be allowed to go about their lawful activities from 6:00a.m. Monday," it added.
But the military's statement was mum on the fate of Monguno, another town also attacked by Boko Haram today.
Jubrin Gunda, a spokesman for the vigilante Civilian Joint Task Force, had confirmed earlier that Monguno had fallen to Boko Haram.
"With the capture of Monguno, I'm sad to note that the entire northern Borno has how fallen," he told AA.
Panic
Idris Musa, who lives near Njimtilo, said there is panic among residents in the area.
"Everybody is evacuating his family now," he told AA on phone.
"The shooting started in the midnight and we thought it will subside but it hasn't," he said.
"It is getting worse and I am moving my family out of the area like everybody," added Musa.
"It is becoming scarier because the Boko Haram aren't giving up; they're advancing toward the city despite the resistance from soldiers," he said.
Hundreds of families were trying to move into safer areas of Maiduguri or travel to other cities of the north.
"I couldn't wait longer because I was praying the insurgents wouldn't get into the city before the break of the day," Abdullahi Lawan, a local resident, told AA.
"That's why I moved out with my family into the heart of the town early this morning," he said.
Boko Haram has made repeated attempts to invade Maiduguri in the past.
In Dec. 2013, the militants mounted a daring attack on an army and air force base, killing at least 24 people including military personnel.
For the last five years, Nigeria has battled a fierceBoko Haram insurgency that has ravaged the country's volatile northeast and claimed thousands of lives.
The year 2014 proved to be the insurgency's bloodiest year yet, with increasingly frequent attacks, higher death tolls and a deluge of displaced persons.
A seemingly emboldened Boko Haram recently stepped up its militant activity, seizing several areas of Adamawa, Yobe and Borno states, where it has since declared an "Islamic caliphate."
