war against terrorism and has successfully dislodged membersof the
outlawed terrorist sect Boko Haram, 60 persons were killed by
assailants suspected to be members of the Islamist group at the
weekend in villages in Borno State.
The attacks, which also led to scores of others being injured,
occurred between Saturday and Sunday in Ngom, Maisarmari andMailari in
Konduga and Mafa Local Government Areas of the state.
The rising spate of attacks, especially in Borno and Yobe States, may
have formed the main item on the agenda during a meeting yesterday
between President Goodluck Jonathan and some servicechiefs and members
of the cabinet behind closed doors.
In attendance at the meeting were the National Security Adviser (NSA),
Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd); Minister of State for Defence, Mrs Olusola
Obada; Minister of Police Affairs, Navy Captain Caleb Olubolade (rtd);
Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim; Chief
of Army Staff, Lt-General Azubike Ihejirika; Chief of Naval Staff,
Vice Admiral Dele Ezeoba; Inspector General of Police, Mohammed
Abubakar; and the Director-General of State Security Service (SSS) Ita
Ekpeyong. At the end of the meeting, none of the attendees disclosed
what was discussed.
On the attacks on the Borno communities at the weekend, it was
gathered that the sect members were enraged that some residents had
been giving out information to the military that had led to the
casualties within the Islamist group.
A source told journalists in Maiduguri yesterday that not less that52
villagers were killed between Saturday and Sunday in Mafa and Konduga
Local Government Areas.
At Ngom village, a border town between Mafa and Konduga, insurgents
invaded the village and shot 12 persons dead on Saturday night.
A politician from the area, who confirmed the death of 12 villagersto
journalists, said he learnt of another attack in Konduga where 40
persons were shot dead.
He said there were numerous persons injured in the attacks on
thevillages, with those who suffered severe injuries taken to
hospitals in Maiduguri for treatment.
An official at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital, who
spoke off the record to journalists, confirmed that 26 persons who
were brought to the hospital on Sunday were still at the hospital
yesterday receiving treatment from gunshot wounds.
Boko Haram members had in the past launched attacks and
killedvillagers whom they accused of being informants to security
agencies and youth vigilante groups who have hunted them down.
Last month alone, 45 villagers were said to have been killed in
twoseparate villages in Borno State.
Another source told journalists that during the weekend attacks onthe
villages, there was no gunfire, insisting that members of the outlawed
sect members attacked the three villages, killing 31 people, by
slitting their throats in their houses and mosques.
He noted that the strategy must have been used in order not to attract
the attention of security agents during the attacks.
A source with the Joint Task Force (JTF) also revealed yesterday that
12 persons were killed at Ngom while 19 other villagers' throats were
slit in surrounding villages on Sunday.
He said the killings compelled the task force to cordon off the road
leading to Dikwa for several hours.
On the Ngom casualties, the JTF source revealed: "I cannot tell you
details of the attacks, but it was certain that gunmen in military and
police uniforms attacked Ngom village, 20 kilometres east of
Maiduguri, the state capital. The incident occurred in the early hours
of Saturday, before we were alerted on the village attacks and
killings.
"On reaching the village, the gunmen had fled in their vehicles
andmotorcycles. But the village head told us that 12 of his people
were killed. The victims' hands were tied to their backs, before they
were killed by slitting their throats."
A resident of Mailari, Aisami Bukar, told journalists in Maiduguri:"We
saw gunmen in military and police uniforms at dawn with some vehicles
and motorcycles who proceeded towards our village on the
Maiduguri-Bama Road, chanting God is great in Arabic when the gunmen
started to kill some of us here in this village oneby one, until 11
villagers were slain by slitting their throats."
He added: "The following day at Maisarmari village, a different set of
gunmen also invaded and attacked the village in the early hours of
Sunday and killed eight more people while they were praying in two
mosques at dawn, before soldiers rushed to the village at about 8 am."
At the time of filing this report, no official statement had been
obtained from JTF, as attempts to get its spokesman, Lt. Col. Sagir
Musa, proved abortive.
In the meantime, the self-acclaimed leader of the sect, Abubakar
Shekau, yesterday claimed responsibility for the recent attacks onsome
towns in both Borno and Yobe States.
Shekau, in a Sallah message to his followers while accepting
responsibility for the attacks on Bama, Mallam Fatori, Gomboru-Ngala
(in Borno) and Damaturu (in Yobe), said the military was being
deceptive over its campaign winning against the terrorist group.
The leader of the sect, who also said his group was responsible forthe
killing of people in Biu, promised to continue on the killing spree
until Borno, Yobe and the rest of Northern Nigeria is Islamised, even
as he insisted that he was engaged in a war that victory was already
assured as the war is holy and supported by God.
He boasted that the sect was too much for the Nigeria governmentto
handle and even with the assistance of America and France, it was not
a "winnable war" since it is a battle with God.
Shekau accused the JTF of merely gathering weapons and showcasing them
to having been recovered from the sect, stressing that the military
has not recovered anything from them and the sect was waxing stronger.
The sect leader stated that the military was deceiving people by
saying they had finished with them, adding that members of the sect
are still alive.
He called on people to join the sect and shun democracy and western
education for Islam and the course of the Jihad.
He said: "The military is lying to the world about the battle we had
with them; they lied that they had killed our members, but we are the
ones that have killed the soldiers.
"We call on you all to repent and come to the ways of Allah. Forget
about constitution and accept Shariah. We don't have socialism, we
don't know communism, we don't want federalism, butwe are Muslims.
"You soldiers have claimed that you are powerful, that we have been
defeated, that we are mad people; but how can a mad man successfully
coordinate recent attacks in Gamboru, in Malumfatori,slaughter people
in Biu, kill in Gwoza and in Bama where soldiers fled under our heavy
fire power.
"We have killed countless soldiers and we are going to kill more. Our
strength and firepower has surpassed that of Nigeria. Nigeria is no
longer a big deal as far as we are concerned. We can now comfortably
confront the United States of America.
"Let the world know that we have been enjoined by Allah to kill the
unbelievers just like how we were enjoined to slaughter rams during
Eid-el Kabir.
"And we shall continue to kill those who strive to stand against the
will of Allah by opposing Sharia. We don't mind if we die doing this
because it is even a blessing for us to die in this cause and gain
paradise. So we are winning on either side.
"It is never too late for you to repent and join us on the path of
righteousness."
In a related development, it has emerged that 20 soldiers went missing
following the August 4 attacks on two military camps in Mallam Fatori.
The online news medium, Premium Times, quoted military sources as
stating that the attackers, suspected to be members of Boko Haram,
arrived the Section Four camp manned by the Multinational Joint Task
Force (MNJTF) at about 5.30 am that day and took the soldiers by
surprise.
"The insurgents came around 5.30 am, surrounded the camp and launched
a surprise attack on the camp which gave them an edge over us. Our men
were caught off-guard," one of the sources said.
He added that as a result of the surprise attack, the Boko Haram
insurgents overwhelmed the units they met on the ground and some of
the soldiers were chased as far as Niger Republic.
Sources also said the soldiers were also surprised by the firepowerof
the attackers who reportedly also took away with them some weapons
from the camp.
They however said members of the MNJTF later re-grouped and took back
one of the camps, adding however that "the insurgents are still in
control of one of the camps".
THISDAY sources said because of the fear of ambush, soldiers on the
ground were yet to launch a rescue mission for the over 20 missing
soldiers who are still missing with their weapons.
The authorities have simply declared them "missing in action," another
source said. "But there is apprehension that the men havebeen killed,"
he added.
Shortly after the attack, the JTF in Maiduguri issued a
statementclaiming that only two soldiers and a policeman were killed
in the attack.
However, the JTF commander in the state, Major General Jah Ewansiah,
reportedly informed the Borno State Governor, Kashim Shettima, when he
visited the JTF headquarters on a condolence visit that 12 soldiers
were killed in the attack.
No comments:
Post a Comment