Barely 24 hours after the Federal Government and Boko Haram brokered a
ceasefire deal on the Islamist group's terror campaign in the
North-east, an attack, suspected to have been carried by the sect,
yesterday, left eight dead.
The attack took place around the hilly communities of Dzur in Hawul
Local Government Area of Borno State.
In an earlier development, suspected Boko Haram insurgents, Friday
evening, killed 10 persons in an attack in Malamfatori, the
headquarters of Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State, bringing
the number of people killed in the two attacks at the weekend to 18.
Federal Government officials were, yesterday, unwilling to comment on
the attacks amid the truce talks.
However, one of the officials, who spoke to Sunday Vanguard, said:
"Our attitude is simply wait and see."
Meanwhile, sources said that the alleged killing of the leader of Boko
Haram, Abubakar Shekau, and the attendant effect on the operations of
the group may have forced it to negotiate with government.
It was equally learnt that President Goodluck Jonathan's re-election
bid may have played a role in the latest efforts to resolve the
Nigeria-Boko Haram conflict.
Sunday Vanguard learnt that government's calculation was that the
resolution of the Boko Haram insurgency would be viewed favourably by
Nigerians to Jonathan ahead of his declaration for second time.
The release of the more than 200 students from Government Girls
Secondary School, Chibok, Borno State, kidnapped by Boko Haram in
April, more than 180 days ago, also featured prominently on the truce
talks held in Saudi Arabia.
The eight persons killed in yesterday's attack around the Borno hilly
communities included motorists and passengers whose vehicles were
reportedly ambushed by insurgents.
Ambush
Dzur is a mountainous community harbouring terrorist camps along the
Biu- Garkida- Gombi- Yola road where the late Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji
Idrissa Timta, and some other people were ambushed and killed by
suspected Boko Haram gunmen early this year.
Just two weeks ago, some insurgents stormed Shaffa community, about 10
kilometres from Azare, the council headquarters, and killed over 20
people including a pastor of Living Faith Church, Eluid Gwamna
Mshelizza, who was slaughtered on his way to his house after
delivering a sermon at about 10pm in the community.
In that attack, no fewer than six churches were razed while several
houses and shops all belonging to Christians were looted and
destroyed.
A motorist, who narrowly escaped yesterday's attack, Mallam Yakubu Ali
Biu, told our correspondent that the assailants, numbering over 50,
armed with rifles and rocket propelled launchers, barricaded the
highway and opened fire on motorists and passengers from Biu to Yola,
which led to the killing of eight persons while many others sustained
gunshot injuries.
On how he escaped, he said, " My brother, it is by the grace of God
that I and some passengers survived. I was coming from Biu to Gombi
when I sighted motorists running into the bush and in different
directions. I began to hear sound of gunshots. I quickly made a U-turn
back to Biu. A taxi driver who overtook me on the road around Tashan
Alade was among the victims".
A residents of neighbouring Shaffa community, Mr. Mwajim Anjili
Balami, told our correspondent on phone in Maiduguri that the
insurgents came through Kwokshar village and were trying to enter
Shaffa.
"As I am talking to you now, residents have run away from Shaffa
because of lack of security presence. Our local hunters and vigilante
groups tried to resist the attack, but they were overwhelmed."
The 10 people reportedly killed by gunmen in Malamfatori, Abadam local
government area, on Friday, were said to have included a brother to a
Director in the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation in Borno State.
Abadam is north and borders Niger and Chad Republic, about 270
kilometres from Maiduguri.
Sources told Sunday Vanguardthat the insurgents, numbering over 100,
were fleeing from Marge, Monguno and Dikwa axis towards the Lake Chad
basin when they were confronted by vigilante youth, a situation which
forced them to open fire on residents killing 10 and leaving over 30
others with gunshot injuries.
A resident who lost a brother said the incident took place at about
5pm on Friday.
Efforts to contact Borno State police Public Relations Officer, DSP
Gideon Jubrin, were unsuccessful as his phone lines were not
reachable, but a security source confirmed the attack.
Losses
Sunday Vanguard was informed, yesterday, that the death of Shekau,
leader of Boko Haram, "forced its upper cadre to reach out to
President Idris Deby Itno of Chad to help it enter into truce with the
Nigerian authorities."
--Vanguard
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