Boko Haram Kills Emir, Two others escape

The dreaded Islamist extremist, Boko Haram attacked the convoy of some royal fathers from the Northern part of Nigeria killing one of them  while the others escape unhurt.
Idrissa Timta, emir of the town of Gwoza, was killed as he and two other emirs were traveling to the funeral of an emir in neighboring Gombe state, Borno government representative Bab Ahmed Jidda said.

The emir of Uba, Ali Ibn Ismaila Mamza, and the emir of Askira, Abdullahi Ibn Muhammadu Askirama, escaped unhurt, according to Jidda.

The gunmen specifically targeted the vehicle holding the three emirs and opened fire, Jidda said.

A police escort was shot and injured in the attack, Jidda said.

Wali Ibrahim, a member of the Gwoza royalty and a close aide to the slain emir, said the gunmen opened fire from hilltops overlooking the highway.

"We came under heavy gunfire from the hills, which forced the convoy to break up in disarray," said Ibrahim, who was in Timta's entourage.

"We returned to a military checkpoint not far from the scene of the attack and reported the incident to soldiers there, but to our surprise they made no effort to go after the attackers," Ibrahim said.

"By the time we returned to the scene, we met the emir dead inside the vehicle with gunshots," he said.

Troops were dispatched to the area after the attack and are trying to find the assailants, the defense ministry said.

Boko Haram has repeatedly targeted Nigeria's Islamic emirs, accusing them of selling out by submitting to the authority of the secular government.

The emirs are from traditional royal families and often serve as liaisons between their communities and the secular government. Timta's late father had been a chief in Gwoza.

This is really getting out of hand