Suspected Boko Haram fighters kill 69 in Nigeria’s northeast

Maiduguri (Nigeria): Suspected members of the Islamic extremist group Boko Haram have killed at least 69 people in Nigeria’s northeast. This information was given by local residents Wednesday. This was one of the deadliest Boko Haram attacks launched in the locality, they added.

Deadly strike

The attack took place Tuesday in Foduma Kolomaiya village in the Gubio area of Borno state. It likely was in retaliation for resistance against an assault weeks ago, residents said.

“They (Boko Haram) came on motorcycles and vehicles and killed people at will in an attack that lasted more than two hours,” said Rabiu Isa, a member of a local defense force. “In all we counted 69 corpses but the death toll may be higher because some people are still missing. Many others were wounded,” he added.

Rampage continues

A leader of the local defense group, Malam Bunu, said the fighters returned Wednesday morning to kill a herdsman. The herdsman had escaped the massacre.

“Then set the entire village ablaze before they left,” Bunu said. “As I am talking to you now, the village is still smoking.”

Gubio lies nearly 100 kilometers northwest of Maiduguri, the Borno state capital. Residents are mostly herders who have resisted Boko Haram hostilities over the years.

After the initial attack nearly 1,200 cattle were stolen, Bunu said. An air force fighter jet fired shots at the fleeing fighters, he said. However, there were no report on any casualty on the Boko Haram side, Bunu added.

Retaliatory move

“Tuesday’s attack was likely in retaliation for the death of two Boko Haram members. They were killed by villagers when the insurgents attempted to attack them about two months ago,” Bunu said.

Boko Haram members often force villagers to pay illegal taxes by taking their livestock. But over time, villagers have began to resist the extortion.

Boko Haram and a breakaway faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province, are both active in the region. Boko Haram’s more than decade-long insurgency has left thousands dead and displaced tens of thousands.

Agencies