Boko Haram insurgents abducted a woman in a Christmas day raid conducted through the Molai axis of Maiduguri, the Borno state capital on Monday evening.
Three others were equally alleged to have been burnt alive by the insurgents, who came in scores.
Military sources said that the persons killed were drivers who were bringing food items to Maiduguri from the southern zone and were caught up in the crossfire at a security post between the insurgents and Boko Haram in their fierce attempts to penetrate the capital.
As at first light, they told newsmen that, they were still looking for more corpses, among the vehicles lined up which got burnt down by the insurgents.
Police spokesman Victor Isuku also confirmed the attempt adding that the situation is now calm, and the people who flee their homes for safety had returned.
Meanwhile, army spokesman Sani Usman has confirmed that there was no loss of lives to troops while normalcy has since been restored.
He said that both ground troops and airforce support have been on the trail of the remnants of the terrorists till early this morning.
Hundreds of women used mostly for s3x slavery have been abducted by Boko Haram since they started their campaign to install their brand of Sharia law in the northeast of Nigeria since 2009.