Militants attack city in N. Nigeria

(Vatican Radio) In Nigeria, Islamic militants struck the northern city of Maiduguri Friday morning, attacking the main military barracks in an area where children were walking to school and causing panicked residents to flee the area.

Al Qaeda-linked Boko Haram has killed thousands in an almost five-year insurgency; 2,000 people were killed in the last six months alone. The number of dead from Friday morning’s attack have not yet been confirmed though many are believed dead and others severely injured.

Fr John Bakeni of the Diocese of Maiduguri witnessed this morning’s attack. He told Vatican Radio’s John-Baptiste Munyambibi that people are fearful and frustrated with the continuing violence.

Listen to an excerpt from the interview with Fr John Bakeni: