Expired Solar street lights batteries explosion mistaken for bomb blasts caused massive commotion in Borno State monday as people panicked and scampered for their lives.
The panic was heightened when security forces deployed to the area also fired sporadically into the air, to scare off the terrorists believed to have detonated the explosion.
It was learnt that there was confusion around 11a.m. leading to mass exodus of people, including women and children in Dikwa town after a thunderous blast.
Residents, who initially spoke to journalists, claimed that members of the Boko Haram sect stormed the area and detonated explosives before engaging troops in a gun-duel.
“The terrorists have attacked the military station in Dikwa with guns and explosives and the fight is ongoing. Most of our people have fled for now and only God knows how the fight will end,” one of the residents Malam Bakura Goni said.
However, a top security personnel who declined identification refuted the incident, saying the explosion was caused by faulty solar batteries for street lights.
“There was no attack in Dikwa by the insurgents, rather the people were actually scared when they heard a scaring bang which was caused by a some solar light batteries kept in a store
Immediately after the ‘blast’ troops in Dikwa fired friendly shots into the air and the residents mistook the development and fled. Many people took to the bushes because they thought our men were engaging the terrorists. I want to assure you that normalcy has returned,” the operative further assured.
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