Boko Haram abducts politician's wife and two children in Borno state

Suspected members of Boko Haram have kidnapped the wife and two children of Alhaji Zaraye Mala Sheriff, a Councillor in Borno state who is reported to be a cousin of former Borno state, governor, Ali Modu Sheriff.

A source told Daily Trust that the men stormed the Ngala town residence of the politician in the early hours of Friday July 18th.

"The insurgents stormed the house of the councillor around 12:30am on Friday and asked the wife about her husband. They also asked her for the money he kept at home but she kept quiet. Luckily enough, Zaraye was at the other side of the house and when he heard the conversation, he fled,” a source from Ngala said.

He said angered by her silence and the absence of their target, the sect members took her and her two children away. Continue...

"Up till now, nothing has been heard of the woman and her kids. We have not heard anything about the two businessmen either,” he said.

Two other politicians, Alhaji Annur Mohammed and Liman Alhaji Hussaini were also reportedly kidnapped by the sect men.

Meanwhile there are reports that Maiduguri metropolis and its environs have been without power in the last three weeks following the destruction of electricity installations around Damboa town, 85 kilometers away from the state capital.

A senior official of the utility firm supplying the state with power, the Yola Electricity Distribution Company (YEDC) said the attack by Boko Haram members in the last three weeks around Damboa caused “huge damage” to their 33KVA installations.

“The problem is aggravated by the security situation around Damboa which makes it difficult for our men to effect repairs. The truth is that it will take time before electricity would be restored in Maiduguri and environs,” he said.