No fewer than 100 people were, weekend, killed in separate attacks in Baga and Izge villages of Kukawa and Gwoza local government areas of Borno State, by Boko Haram insurgents, who also reportedly wounded several others and destroyed property worth millions of Naira. This came as President Goodluck Jonathan said in Lagos, yesterday, that the security challenges facing the country would have been worse without prayers from religious groups across the country.
It has also emerged that the Federal Government may be under pressure to open fresh negotiations with the terrorist group.
President Jonathan, who spoke at the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Olive Tree Parish, in Banana Island, Lagos thanked Christians and other religious groups for their prayerful intercessions for the country. He said, but for their prayers, Nigeria would have been worse than it is in terms of the security challenges.
However, the Military High Command has now suspended further rotation of troops deployed to the North East region to fight the Boko Haram terrorists over alleged discovery that troops now play hide and seek to avoid being killed by the terrorists. The order banning further rotation of troops every six months came into effect on February 3.
Aside the weekend attacks, investigations by Vanguard showed that the Boko Haram terrorists had killed over 200 people within the last few weeks as well as inflicting severe wounds on residents who lost property worth billions of naira in Konduga, Gwoza and Kukawa council areas of Borno State.
According to reports the attack in Baga village bordering the Chad Republic Friday evening, claimed 10 lives, while the Izge massacre at the Cameroon border with Borno State yesterday morning also left 90 people dead.
On the Baga incident, sources said that the gunmen numbering over 100 invaded the village at about 7pm with sophisticated weapons, including Improvised Explosive Devices, IED’s, and wreaked havoc on innocent citizens before fleeing without being arrested.
A resident, Mallam Ali Yakubu said the gunmen succeeded in killing several people after dislodging some security operatives in the area. He added that the gunmen arrived in Toyota Hilux and several other vehicles and motorcycles while dressed in military camouflage, chanting Allahu Akbar (God is great) and shot at anyone on sight before setting houses ablaze.
“As I am talking to you now, all the dead bodies are still lying on the streets as we can’t get the opportunity of burying them because of fear that the terrorists were still around in the nearby bushes of Izge.
“I thank God for sparing my life yesterday, because I thought my days in this world were over when we started hearing sounds of gunshots and explosions all over Izge in the night. God really had mercy on me. We ran into the bush without being hurt by the insurgents, although, I lost all my belongings,’’ he added.
The Police Commissioner, Mr. Lawal Tanko confirmed the incidents in a telephone interview with Vanguard, when contacted yesterday.
He said: “Yes there were separate attacks in Baga Village located on an island of Lake Chad where about eight or nine people were killed on Friday, while the terrorists attack on Izge villages of Gwoza Local Government Area on Sunday (yesterday), led to the death of innocent civilians.
“I have already directed the Divisional Police Officer, DPO, in-charge of the area to feed me back with details, I will let you know, but as at now, I do not have details on the number of casualties,’’ Tanko said.
source -Vanguard
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