Maiduguri-Damaturu highway, bordering Borno and Yobe states, was closed to traffic for about two hours on Friday as men of the Borno State Rapid Response Squad engaged Boko Haram members in a shootout.

According to a security source, the insurgents had taken a drive through the desert path intending to block the highway to kidnap travellers.

The source said they were, however, spotted by men of the RRS deployed on the Maiduguri-Damaturu highway who engaged them in a shootout.

The Commandant, RRS, Abioye Babalola, confirmed the incident to our correspondent but did not give details.