100 killed as Boko Haram extremists opened fire on market and homes in deadliest attack – India TV

At least 100 villagers were killed in northeastern Nigeria when suspected Boko Haram Islamic extremists opened fire in a market, on worshippers and in people’s homes, residents said Wednesday, in the latest killings in Africa’s longest struggle against the militancy. More than 50 extremists on motorcycles entered the Tarmuwa council area of ​​Yobe state on Sunday night and began shooting before setting buildings ablaze, according to Yobe police spokesman Dungus Abdulkarim.

Boko Haram responsible for attack, Nigerian police say

Police blamed the attack on Boko Haram, which has been waging an insurgency since 2009 to establish its radical interpretation of Islamic law, or sharia, in the region. Boko Haram has since splintered into separate factions, which together are responsible for the direct deaths of at least 35,000 people and the displacement of more than 2 million, as well as a humanitarian crisis with millions in urgent need of foreign aid.

According to the US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED), at least 1,500 people have been killed in the region this year in attacks by armed groups. Yobe Deputy Governor Idi Barde Gubana gave a much lower death toll of 34 for Sunday’s attack. Conflicting statistics are a common trend in the security crisis, as the death toll according to survivor counts is often higher than the official figure.

34 buried in one town

The 34 dead cited by the deputy governor were those buried in a single village, said Zanna Umar, a community leader, who said 102 villagers have so far been confirmed dead in the attack. Most of the others were buried before authorities arrived, or their bodies were taken to other locations for burial. “We are still working to find more people because there are still many missing,” Umar said.

The deadliest attack

Sunday’s attack is one of the deadliest in Yobe in the past year. The state is less targeted than neighboring Borno, the epicenter of the war with Boko Haram. Local media reported that the militants claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was in retaliation for villagers who informed security agents about their activities. Several Boko Haram members were killed as a result of information passed on by villagers, the militants said.

In the northeast of the country, reprisals are rampant and villagers sometimes “pay the price” after military operations, said Confidence MacHarry of SBM Intelligence, a security firm based in Lagos. “This is the first time our community has faced such a devastating attack,” said Buba Adamu, a local chief, his voice laced with pain and fear. “We never imagined something like this could happen here.”

“There are some places (in the region) that are completely outside the control of the Nigerian military and villagers often live in fear of reprisals,” MacHarry said. In those places, he added, Nigerian security forces only go there to conduct operations but do not have enough personnel to remain on the ground.

Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, elected last year on a promise to end the conflict with Boko Haram, condemned the attack in a statement seeking to ensure justice for the villagers but did not address security measures. Security analysts have criticized Tinubu’s security policies, saying he has so far failed to take any bold steps to resolve the killings and that problems he inherited, such as a lack of resources and personnel, remain.

(With contributions from the agency)

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