74 PEOPLE DEAD IN BOKO HARAM ATTACKS

NIGERIA,  Maiduguri —

At least 74 people were killed in attacks blamed on Boko Haram militants this weekend, Over 250 people had lost their lives since the turn of the year, even before the latest attacks,
The attacks will likely renew fears that Nigeria is struggling to contain the Islamist insurgency and the perception that militant fighters are able to roam the northeast with impunity, attacking at will.

Witnesses said the final death toll could rise and dozens of homes razed in the blasts.

Yobe and Adamawa states have been under emergency rule since May 2013 and an increased military presence had pushed Boko Haram out of towns and cities into more remote rural areas.