Nigeria's military has repelled an attack yesterday by suspected Boko Haram militants on the outskirts of the northeastern city of Maiduguri. <br/><br/>Major General Nicholas Rogers, who heads Nigeria's military operations against Boko Haram said the jihadists in several pickup trucks opened fire on a military checkpoint on the Molai outskirts of the city at around 5:30 pm yesterday, triggering a gun fight that lasted for more than an hour. <br/><br/>It was clear they wanted to overrun the checkpoint and enter the city to cause mayhem," said the military officer who requested anonymity.<br/><br/>The gunmen used the cover of a convoy of civilian vehicles under military escort returning from the town of Damboa, 90 kilometres away, to launch the attack, said Ibrahim Liman, a militia leader assisting the Nigerian army in fighting the Islamists. <br/><br/>The situation is now under control.<br/>It was not possible to immediately establish the number of casualties as the scene of the fighting was cordoned off by troops after the gunmen were pushed out.<br/><br/>Security had been tightened in Maiduguri for the Christmas weekend in anticipation of possible Boko Haram attacks. Police issued a statement asking residents to be vigilant and report suspicious persons and abandoned objects to security personnel.