The Islamist group Boko Haram have overrun a town in northern Nigeria in an attack which is reported to have killed many people and forced thousands to flee.

BBC Africa

The Islamist group Boko Haram have overrun a town in northern Nigeria in an attack which is reported to have killed many people and forced thousands to flee. The militants seized Bama, the second largest town in Borno state, on Monday after an initial attempt to take over the town was thwarted by government forces. Speaking to the BBC, residents confirmed the town had fallen to the group and that thousands of people are now displaced. The Nigerian authorities have yet to make an official comment on the attack.