No fewer that 150 persons were killed wither by gun shots by the Boko Haram insurgents or by drowning in the Yobe river in their bid to escape the attack in Kukuwa-Gari village of the state.
The incident which happened on Thursday, August 13 3015 slowly crawled into the headlines on Monday, August 18, 2015 because the Boko Haram loyalists destroyed the telecom masts around the village, around 50 kilometres (30 miles) from Yobe State capital, Damaturu, since the insurgency began in 2009.
It was learnt that they stormed the village on motorcycles and a car and opened fire on residents who were forced to flee for safety, even though a handful of persons were still gunned down.
A resident of the village, Modu Balumi, who spoke to reporters said, “They opened fire instantly, which forced residents to flee. They shot a number of people.
“Unfortunately many residents who tried to flee plunged into the river which is full from the rain. Many drowned.
“By our latest toll, we have 150 people either (shot dead) or drowned in the attack. The gunmen deliberately killed a fisherman who tried to save drowning residents of the village.”
Some villagers were able to recover the corpses of many drowned victims several kilometres away.
A local, Bukar Tijjani, said, “Boko Haram gunmen attacked our village on Thursday which led to the deaths of around 150 people. Most of the victims died in the river while trying to escape. The gunmen opened fire on the village forcing people to run to safety.
“Most residents, particularly women and children, ran towards the river in confusion. They were pursued by the gunmen, who kept firing at them. In the frantic effort to escape they jumped into the river, which was full to the brim.”
The attack was confirmed by an unidentified local government official, although he put the death toll much lower, at around 50 persons.
