President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed shock over the deadly terror attack that took place in a village in Borno State on Wednesday, whose death toll has now risen to 81.
The initial death toll in the attacked village, Foduma Kolomaiya of Gubio Local Government Area, was 70 before it rose to 81, ThisDay reports.
In a statement on Wednesday by presidential spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu, the president said he is appalled by the brutal killings of scores of people by the Boko Haram in Gubio village of Borno State.
He described the attack as one of the most brutal terrorist attacks on innocent people in the North-east.
The statement said the president is awaiting a detailed briefing on the incident from Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno, based on the outcome of his visit to the affected communities.
The President said;
The primordial nature of the killings is particularly shocking because it happened not long after the Ramadhan and Eid, and the country is preparing to celebrate the Democracy Day.
He condemned the incident and charged the armed forces to sustain their recent string of successes against the terrorists by bringing back those kidnapped as well as the large number of cattle rustled.
The president expressed condolences to the bereaved families, communities, the government and people of Borno State.
Borno State Governor Zulum visited to Gubio to sympathise with them and assess the damage.
According to a statement by the governor’s spokesman, Mallam Isa Gusau;
A survivor told Zulum that 81 residents were killed during the attack on Tuesday with 13 persons injured and seven others, including village head was abducted.
The insurgents reportedly operated for about two hours unchallenged with the initial bodycount put at 70 while 300 cows were also killed in the attack and over 1,000 cows rustled.
Similarly, in the president’s home state of Katsina, over 66 people were also killed yesterday when bandits attacked some communities in Faskari Local Government Area.
The rampaging bandits who stormed the five communities of Kadisau, Kabalawa, Kwakware, Wahabi and Raudama in Katsina State, forced thousands of residents to flee their homes.
The bandits were also reported to have initially killed 10 people in Maiganguma, Makera and Unguwar Zango villages of Dandume LGA of the state.
According to the former Chairman of Faskari LGA, Mr. Bala Ado, the bandits left over 30 persons with varying degrees of injuries during the attacks.
The former chairman stated that the bandits, numbering over 150, and riding on motorcycles, simultaneously attacked the affected communities.
He said they killed 38 persons in Kadisau community and injured 30 people, mostly women and children, who are currently receiving treatment at the General Hospital in Funtua, Katsina.
Ado added that the bandits also rustled hundreds of animals, set ablaze thousands of houses, shops, grains stores and kidnapped many women and children.
He stressed;
The bandits arrived Kadisau community at about 5.24p.m on Tuesday when most children were playing football and started shooting sporadically. They killed 38 people on the spot and injured 30 others who are currently receiving treatment at Funtua General Hospital.
They also killed nine people in Kabalawa, five in Kwakware, three in Unguwar Wahabi and one person in Raudama village respectively. The bandits burnt grains stores, shops and rustled unspecified number of cattle.
The former chairman stated that;
They spent over two hours carrying out the attacks without any intervention from security personnel. They moved to Sabon Layin Galadima and Maigora villages and rustled hundreds of domestic animals belonging to residents of the areas.
These notorious bandits also killed 10 people in Makera, Unguwar Zango and Maiganguma villages of Dandume Local Government.
He alleged that the bandits terrorising Faskari communities were from Tsafe Local Government Area of Zamfara State.
Reacting to the attacks, the Nigerian Army, has vowed to apprehend and neutralize the bandits.
The Army said it is saddened by the attack on Faduma Kolomaiya village in Gubio local government area of Borno state.
Sagir Musa, army’s spokesperson, in a statement on Wednesday said troops have been drafted in the area to track and apprehend the insurgents.
He also stated that efforts are also ongoing to get rid of bandits in some states in the north-west.
The statement reads;
The Nigerian army is deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident in which suspected retreating Boko Haram/ISWAP terrorists with a few sleeper cells within communities ambushed and killed innocent women and children in Faduma Kolomaiya village, Gubio LGA of Borno state.
Already a large contingent of military personnel have been drafted in the general area to track and apprehend or neutralize the perpetrators. We have also mandated the Theatre Command, Operation LAFIYA DOLE to enhance security, dominate the area and reassure the affected communities of the Nigerian Army’s commitment to protect the population.
The Nigerian army equally notes with great concern about banditry incidents in some parts of the north western part of the county across Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara states. It has come to our knowledge that some bandits are shifting base and venting their anger on hapless citizens because of the ongoing operations in Katsina state.
While we sympathize with fellow Nigerians and the good people of Borno, Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara states in particular, on these unfortunate incidents, we would like to assure all of our unrelenting effort in engaging with communities to rid our society of any and all remnants of these criminal elements.
We would like to state further that the Nigerian Army in conjunction with Nigerian Air Force, sister service, other security agencies and the affected States governments, will make efforts to clear all known bandits hideouts in those states as more troops are being mobilized as directed by Mr President and Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces.
The army added that it is committed to investigate the circumstances of attacks by Boko Haram insurgents and bandits on innocent civilians.
See photos from attacks below;
