Histent is a walk acrossablack wasteland pocked by the twisted wreckageofvehiclesblown upin the warandlittle pilesofhuman faecesleft by the locals, who eschew latrines.
The raid was preceded by an attack on the local police station, when two vehicles were blownup, in the town of Jama'are, some 125 miles (200km) north of the state capital, Bauchi.