No fewer than 22 people were killed on Sunday, December 13, following separate raids launched in Borno and Plateau states, by Boko Haram and Fulani herdsmen.
An assault by Boko Haram, saw the demise of eight people and the burning down of several houses in separate attacks on Mangari and Warawara villages in Biu local government area of Borno state
In a separate attck by Fulani herdsmen, 14 people were killed at Kwata in Jos South local government area of Plateau state.
According to This Day, Mangari and Warawara villages are about five kilometres and seven kilometres away respectively from Buratai.
It is worthy to note that Buratai is the home town of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Buratai.
According to John Dalyop a source in Plateau community, the herdsmen had written to warn the community of Kwata, Trade Centre, and Kuru that they were not going to enjoy a peaceful Christmas season, but the communities took the warning lightly.
However, on Sunday night, the Fulani rustlers lived up to their threat, attacking about six houses in Kwata leaving not less than 14 dead.
Dalyop said the attackers, who arrived the community at about 8p.m, broke into their houses through the weak doors and windows most of which are made from zinc roofing sheets.
“They hacked down helpless children and women, leaving them in the pool of their blood. Others, who tried to escape into the nearby bush were shot by the attackers,”Daylop informed.
Another source from the community, who described the incident as dastardly, added that the attackers communicated only in English and Hausa languages throughout the raid.
The unnamed source added that the men in the community were yet to return home from where they had gone to relax.
He said the resident hid in-between the ridges of the farmland all through the about 30-minutes raid. Adding that, the security operatives only arrived about an hour after the attackers had escaped into the nearby hills.
Littered around the attacked compound were corpses of the victims, while the injured were rushed to the hospital.
spokesman of special task force (STF), Capt Ikedichi Iweha, suspecting a reprisal, said: “two days ago two Fulani men were killed in Wereng village and suspecting there will a reprisal we moved our men to the village (Wereng) but unfortunately they attacked a different village.
“We had invited the district of Wereng to explain what happened in his village, but he has been on the run.
“The Kwata community also had at one time rejected the deployment of security men to the area, claiming they could defend themselves; with this attack they now know that they don’t have such weapon to withstand the attackers.”
Capt Iweha advised that an eye for an eye would not solve the problem. He therefore appealed for calm.
He added that there is a deployment of soldiers to ensure that tranquility is restored to the area.
On the other hand, a resident of Mangari who fled to Miringa town, Mallam Ibrahim Abubakar, spoke to newsmen on phone.
He said members of the Boko Haram sect besieged his village at about 3:15pm on Sunday.
Mallam Abubakar informed that the insurgents came on motorcycles and bicycles.
He said they shot sporadically, vandalizing and setting houses on fire.
Abubakar said: “I saw three person who were killed and their corpses laid on the streets.”
“When we arrived Miringa I was told that five other person were missing, I cannot, up till now, tell you their whereabouts, we cannot say whether they were equally killed or abducted by the rampaging insurgents,” he added.
The attack on Warawara reportedly took place just after the assault was launched on Mangari village.
According to residents of the village, the insurgents moved to Warawara, setting virtually all the building ablaze and killing indiscriminately.
Ismail Azeez, a resident of Warawara, said the attackers came at about 6:15am on Monday, December 14, setting houses ablaze, and killing five people.
Azeez said: “The Boko Haram terrorist killed five person in our village including my brother, as I am speaking to you now our village head and other elders of the town have gone to bury the copses and I believe when they come back we will know the number of those killed and their identities.”
Investigations are still on regarding the Fulani herdsmen attack, while the Nigerian army still continues its tactical assaults on Boko Haram strongholds.
A recent report by the Nigerian army, informs that troops operating in Bama axis on a fighting patrol, have cleared Boko Haram terrorists out of Aulari general area located within the Sambisa forest.
Army spokesman, Colonel Sani Usman, informs that the troops cleared all the 4 camps located within the area: Faldan, Kidiziromari, Kuroshini, Kurumari and Ngulda.
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