A French-owned cement factory was raided by Boko Haram Islamist militants on Tuesday, who reportedly seized dynamite and stole pick-up trucks from a quarry, witnesses and a security source said on Thursday.
The theft is believed to have been carried out by the suspected militants at Lafarge subsidiary Ashaka Cement in Ashaka, near Gombe state, for funding of the terrorist organization's insurgence in Nigeria, according to Reuters.
"The factory was the target of intruders. There were no injuries. There was no damage in the factory," head of Lafarge cement works, Bruno Lafont, was quoted by news agency Agence France-Presse as saying, after the attack. "This morning [Wednesday], the situation is still calm and everything is back to normal."
The incident comes after the insurgents "previously robbed a bank and set fire to a police station in Nafada, only one day after they are believed to have carried out a mass jailbreak in Kogi state, central Nigeria, and a suicide bomb attack supposedly targeting Shia Muslims celebrating Ashura in Potiskum, Yobe State, which killed at least 32 people," International Business Times reported.
In Tuesday afternoon's attack, six pick-up trucks arrived at the factory and fighters immediately started firing shots at the site, Tanimu Ayuba, a witness who lives near the plant, said. A security source also confirmed the account, stating that the cement plant was almost empty during the raid.
"The insurgents had a field day and unhindered access to the quarry site of the company. They took as much dynamite as they could and left the place," Ayuba said.
"They [the militants] pulled out after the raid. They did not hurt or kidnap anyone," Amadu Wunti, who works at Lafarge, added.
"But they took eight company vehicles and lots of dynamite used in quarry work. The attackers, which included young women, broke into the store and loaded dynamite into the vehicles and drove off."
In October, Nigeria's military confirmed that that a ceasefire had been reached with the Islamic militants, guaranteeing the release of more than 200 kidnapped school girls who were abducted by Boko Haram six months earlier.
But since Boko Haram's leader Abubakar Shekau did not release any official statement regarding the truce, both supporters and critics have cast doubts over the ceasefire.
"The leader is the only person they respect and listen to," civil rights activist, Shehu Sani, who was involved in past negotiations with the terrorists, told Nigeria's Premium Times. "Any statement that is not coming from the leader of the group cannot be said to be credible and will not be complied with by the group member."
Meanwhile, Boko Haram is known for encouraging a version of Islam which makes it "haram," or forbidden, for Muslims to take part in any political or social activity associated with Western society.
It frequently attacks schools and colleges, which it sees as a symbol of Western culture.
