Suspected Boko Haram/ISWAP fighters have reportedly killed a mosque imam and kidnapped more than 100 residents, including women and children, in Ngoshe town in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

Security sources said the attack happened on Tuesday shortly after residents broke their Ramadan fast. The gunmen were said to have arrived in large numbers and were heavily armed.

According to a security source who spoke anonymously, the attackers overran a military base in the area during the raid.

The source claimed that about nine soldiers may have been killed, although this has not been officially confirmed.

The attackers then moved into the town, where they brutally killed the chief imam and abducted more than 100 women and children. Several other residents were also injured.

“Right now, most of the people in Ngoshe have fled. The town is almost empty, and many of us have taken refuge in Pulka,” the source told Daily Trust.

The source also alleged that the attackers received help from someone within the community, which made it easier for them to enter the town.

Residents said the gunmen also set parts of the community on fire while leaving, forcing many people to flee.

There has been no official statement from the spokesperson of Operation Hadin Kai, Lt-Col. Sani Uba.