By Olarewaju Kola
LAGOS
At least 16 people were killed in an attack by Boko Haram militants in Nigeria's northeastern Maiduguri city on Saturday, a hospital source has said.
The source told Anadolu Agency that 16 corpses were brought to Umaru Shehu General Hospital and Borno State Specialists Hospital in the city.
"The bodies were brought dead to the hospitals from the scene of the Boko Haram attack in the city early today," the source said.
Residents of Maiduguri were woken up by heavy shooting emanating from a settlement at the outskirts of the city.
Kolo Bukar, a local vigilante, said Boko Haram militants fired grenades from a nearby settlement into Bulumkutu axis, south of the city at about 1.05am.
"They wanted to enter the city again and carry out another attack and fire artillery weapons and grenade into the city," he said.
According to Bukar, three houses were hit in the attack.
"Five people died and 11 others injured," said Kolo, who also claimed to have joined other vigilantes in repelling the attack.
Two residents who live near one of the houses hit by grenade, Mustapha Lawan and Ibrahim Mele, said they saw bullets flying in different direction throughout the almost two hours gunbattle.
"Our neighbor was hit by one of the bullets at the back and he died some hours later," said Mele.
Boko Haram has been trying to take over Maiduguri since it was dislodged from the city, its birthplace, early June 2013 by local vigilantes.
