Suspected Boko Haram members kill 44 in Borno village

At least 44 persons were killed Tuesday in a village near Baga Village of
Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State, emergency health
workers said.
Baga was the scene of an April attack that led to the death of about
200 people, mostly civilians, with many of them believed to have been
killed when soldiers allegedly set hundreds of houses on fire in
retaliation at the killing of soldiers by suspected Boko Haram members.
An official of the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, said
officials of the agency counted at least 44 corpses in Tuesday’s attack
by suspected members of the Boko Haram.
Residents told aide workers who visited the troubled area that about 50
armed men stormed their village and embarked on a killing spree using
knives.
“Those who did not die were left with their eyes gorged out with knives,
and several others seriously injured,” said the NEMA official, who
doesn’t want to be quoted as he was not authorized to speak to the
press yet.
“Many people were displaced because the Boko Haram set their
houses ablaze, though we cannot say how many. We are going to Baga
village on Saturday to set up camps for the displaced,” the official
added.
“As I am speaking to you now, Red cross officials and the Medicine
Sans Frontier are attending to the injured victims. The village has been
deserted and the people are now taking refuge at the Baga central
primary school.”
Journalists have been unable to confirm the incident since Wednesday
due to lack of communication networks, which has been grounded in
the state in the last three months.
The spokesman of the Joint Task Force, JTF, Sagir Musa, could also
not be contacted.
The Media Coordinator of the Multi National Joint Task Force, MNJTF,
in Baga, Haruna Sani, told journalists in response to an email sent to
him seeking confirmation of the incident that he had no knowledge of
the attack, as he was away from his base.
“I am right now in Adamawa State for an assignment and due to the
network problem, I have difficulty in reaching my Headquarters. I
suggest you find out from Defense Headquarters, may be they are in the
picture of the incidence. Thanks for your effort,” he said.
But a security source, who doesn’t want to be quoted, as he is not
allowed to speak to press, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES.
“There was an attack on Tuesday in Baga that I am aware of but I have
no detailed information on it because this is not under the purview of
the JTF; it is the MNJTF that can speak on that,” the source said.
The Boko Haram has embarked on attacking softer targets outside
Maiduguri after the vigilante (Civilian-JTF) joined forces with the JTF to
apprehend them. The JTF recently announced the death of top leaders
of the sect including that of its overall leader, Abubakar Shekau, who is
believed to have died from gunshot wounds.
The terrorist are believed to use knives as gunshots often attract
Civilian-JTF or soldiers to the scene. Many of such attacks on isolated
villages and hamlets are reported by victims and residents, but
verification has been difficult due to the state of emergency and
network shutdown in the state; while security operatives often do not
confirm the attacks.