Reports from Nigeria say the Islamist group Boko Haram has killed more than 200 people in attacks on several villages in the northeast of the country. An MP from the area told the BBC that two days after the attacks, there was still no sign of the military. Boko Haram is still holding more than 200 schoolgirls captive after abducting them from a boarding school in April. Will Ross sent us this report from Abuja.
Two days after the Boko Haram attacks, dead bodies still litter the streets of several villages in Gwoza, close to Nigeria's border with Cameroon. The Member of Parliament for the area says he fears at least 200 people were killed, but it's impossible to know exactly how many, because there's no one there to count the bodies. The MP says despite requests, Nigerian soldiers have still not deployed there. Gwoza has been turned into a Boko Haram stronghold and there are reports that jihadist flags are flying in some of the villages. The attacks are relentless. Overnight 45 people were killed on the outskirts of Maiduguri city and this morning Boko Haram fighters stormed Maiduguri town, not far from Gwoza. An eyewitness told me he ran for his life.
I ran to the mountain, had to run to save my life.
How many people were running when you were running?
Uncountable. Uncountable. The whole of Maiduguri has run away.
And what about the soldiers? What did they do?
After an exchange of fire they ran away.
So they ran away with the civilians?
Yes sir. Yes sir.
