Boko Haram Kills 3, Abducts 7 in NE Nigeria

Boko Haram gunmen have killed three people and abducted seven women in a raid on a northeast Nigerian district previously declared safe by the military, a local official said on Tuesday.

Dozens of Islamist fighters late on Saturday stormed a village in the Madagali district of Adamawa, which the defense ministry said had been cleared of insurgents in March.

"The ‎insurgents attacked the (Sabon Gari Hyembula) village around 10:30 pm (2130 GMT) where they killed three people and kidnapped seven women," said Madagali local government chief Maina Ularamu.

They looted food supplies and also left 13 people injured, he told AFP.

Madagali fell under Boko Haram control last August, forcing thousands of residents to flee their homes.

After the military liberated the area two months ago, those displaced began to trickle home but Ularamu said the latest violence forced civilians to flee again.

The fresh attack also underscored the persisting threat posed by Boko Haram despite apparent successes recorded by the military in a major offensive launched in February.

The district chief said the Islamist rebels "have been pushed out of Madagali district but there are still remnants... hiding in nearby mountains and bushes."

He said the area has seen a string of night-time raids that typically targeted food stores, with the insurgents also abducting or killing a number of people.

The conflict has left more than 15,000 people dead since 2009 and forced another 1.5 million from their homes.

Boko Haram has abducted women and children throughout much of the conflict.

President-elect Muhammadu Buhari, who will be sworn in next week, has put the fight against the insurgents at the top of his agenda.