Boko Haram terrorists at the weekend raided a village in northeast Nigeria, in the latest orgy of stealing food and medical supplies to shore up and replace lost consignments.
The action and attacks is already causing fears among communities where many IDPs recently returned.
Scores of fighters who said they are loyal to the faction headed by Abu Musab Al-Barnawi stormed Sabon Garin Kimba, some 140 kilometres (88 miles) southwest of the Borno state capital Maiduguri.
The jihadists were dressed in military uniform and arrived in a pick-up in Nigerian army colours at about 6:00 pm (1700 GMT) on Friday, according to the civilian militia assisting troops.
The raid is significant as no civilians were killed or injured.
The Islamic State group last year announced Barnawi was in charge of Boko Haram instead of its long-time leader Abubakar Shekau.
Barnawi has criticized Shekau’s indiscriminate violence against civilians.
Militia member Mustapha Karimbe, who visited the village on Saturday, said: “The attackers took away food items and medical supplies from shops and a pharmacy but they didn’t harm anyone.
“They kept telling residents they were from the Barnawi faction and would not harm anyone as long as no-one got in their way.
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Karimbe’s account was supported by another member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) militia, Suleiman Musa.
Meanwhile, Defence minister, Mansur Dan-Ali, will represent President Muhammadu Buhari at the Nigerian Army Small Arms Championship starting today (Monday) in Sambisa forest.
Lt Gen Tukur Buratai, the chief of army staff, disclosed this weekend.
The CTOP Army, Major General David Ahmad, had earlier announced that Buhari would declare the ceremony open.
But for the change in plan, Buhari would have been the first president to visit the former stronghold of the Boko Haram sect in Borno state.
Sambisa was referred to as the headquarters of the sect.
The visit would have also been Buhari’s first trip outside the presidential villa in Abuja since he returned to the country after a 49-day medical vacation in the UK.
Buratai said the army chose Sambisa forest for the event in order to consolidate its grip on the area.
“We have been in the north-east, fighting the Boko Haram terrorists, and you know the significance of the Sambisa forest to them.
“It used to be one of their Centers. In fact, we suspect that their command and control Centre was located there before its eventual capture”.
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