125 killed, scores injured in Boko Haram, bandits attacks on Borno, Katsina communities
No fewer than 81 civilians were killed and scores injured when suspected members of Boko Haram sect on Tuesday night invaded Zowo village, 34km away from Gubio town, the headquarters of Gubio Local Government Area of Borno State. Also, 23 animals, including cows, donkeys, goats and sheep were killed. Also in Faskari Local Government Area of Katsina State, armed bandits raided the town and killed no fewer than 40 people, mostly old people, women and children.
A source told PRNigeria that communities affected included Kadisau, Maigora, Kabalawa, Kwakware, Raudama and Unguwar Wahabi. Meanwhile, Boko Haram sect members, also yesterday, laid ambush and opened fire on hundreds of motorists with military escort conveying passengers from Maiduguri to Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State. Sources said: “The attack which occurred near Pole Wire, which is about 40km drive to Damboa left four people dead while several others including security personnel with injuries.” Damboa is located about 85km drive from Maiduguri, the state capital which had witnessed series of deadly attacks. In another development, an unspecified number of people have been killed following a communal clash between the Lungudas in Adamawa and their Wajas counterpart in Gombe State.
Meanwhile, Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State, yesterday, visited Faduma Kolomdi village in Gubio, scene of the deadly attack by Boko Haram. Faduma Kolomdi, a nomadic village, is located 35 kilometres in the north of Gubio. 81 killed in Gubio village Initially, reports indicated on Tuesday that 69 people were killed during the attack, while 12 others lost their lives, yesterday, due to injuries sustained in the process of fleeing into the bush, during the attack, bringing the total casualties to 81. This came despite the intensification of the onslaught against Boko Haram by troops in the last one week in different locations within the theatre, during which scores of terrorists were killed, while others escaped with gunshots wounds.
Zowo’s latest attack according to sources and fleeing residents started at about 1:35p.m., Tuesday, which lasted for several hours without confrontation. A high ranking politician, who hails from Gubio, but is not authorised to talk to the press confirmed the Zowo village latest attack by terrorists. He said: “We woke up this morning (yesterday) with sad news that well-armed terrorists invaded one of our communities in Zowo village and wreaked havoc without confrontation. “So far, 81 people were killed while many others sustained gunshot injuries. “The insurgents were very inhumane as they raped, looted and burnt many residential houses, after abducting several others.
“The worst was at a Dam site where many people mostly women and children were fetching water on a queue. The attackers surrounded them and opened fire, killing scores including livestock.” Meanwhile, scores of Boko Haram terrorists were neutralised by troops in different operations in the North East with the recovery of arms and ammunitions. This was contained in a statement by Major General John Enenche, Coordinator Defence Media Operations. He said: “In continuation of aggressive clearance operations across the North-East aimed at decisively ending terrorism in the region, more Boko Haram/ISWAP criminals have been neutralised while others have been arrested.”
Zulum visits Gubio village
Governor Zulum during the visit was told by a survivor, that 81 residents were killed during the attack on Tuesday with 13 persons injured and seven others, including village head were abducted.
Sympathising with the people over the attack, Zulum urged the military to undertake a final onslaught that would put an end of the insurgents in the shore of the Lake Chad. He said: “Last year, about same number of people were killed in Gajiram like it happened again. This is barbaric. It is very unfortunate.
The only solution to end this massacre is by dislodging the insurgents in the shores of Lake Chad. Doing so will require collaborative regional efforts.” It was observed, that the insurgents did not set the place ablaze as they often did in other attacks. A resident from a neighbouring village corroborated what Zulum was told by the survivor. There were fears amongst residents of neighbouring villages, that the casualties could be higher than 81 since tracing was ongoing. Bandits raided five villages, kill 40 in Katsina community A survivor in Kadisau told Vanguard that the bandits rode on motorcycles in their dozens, each armed with an Ak47 rifle as they raided the villages. “They killed three at Unguwar Wahabi, nine at Kabalawa, five at Kwakware, and one at Raudama.
They also raped women and stole animals,” he said. Meanwhile, the Katsina Police Command, yesterday, said only 20 people were killed in the attack. Gambo Isah, Public Relations Officer, PPRO, said that apart from those who were killed, 21 others were critically injured during the attacks in Kadisau village and are receiving treatment at General Hospital, Funtua. He said the armed bandits were in the village to seize animals and food items but youths in the village mobilised to resist the bandits who, unfortunately, were armed with deadly rifles. “They started shooting sporadically at residents who had already ganged up to face them; and in that confrontation, they killed 16 residents while four others died at the hospital,” the PPRO said. B’Haram kills 4 in Damboa – Maiduguri road ambush Suspected members of Boko Haram sect, yesterday, laid ambush and opened fire on hundreds of motorists with military escort conveying passengers from Maiduguri to Damboa Local Government area of the troubled Borno State. Sources said: “The attack which occurred near Pole Wire, which is about 40km drive to Damboa has left four people dead, with several others including security personnel with injuries.”
Another survivor, who drove a Volkswagen Golf saloon car, Mallam Isa Aliyu and was heading to Mubi, in Adamawa State, but made a quick u-turn to Maiduguri, told Vanguard that, he sustained injuries in the attack.
Efforts to get confirmation from Police Public Relations Officer, Edet Okon proved abortive as his phone was not reachable at press time. Scores feared killed in Adamawa/Gombe communities clash An unspecified number of people were feared killed yesterday following a communal clash between the Lungudas in Adamawa and their Wajas counterpart in Gombe State. Eyewitness account said several people were killed in the renewed communal clash in Lunguda ethnic nationalities across five communities of Guyuk and Lamurde councils of Adamawa State. Vanguard
