Borno state police commissioner, Mr Aderemi Opadokun, has today confirmed fresh attacks of the Boko Haram terrorists group that had claimed at least 43 lives during the weekend.
This is even as suspected suicide bomber Monday blew off himself at a military checkpoint in Jimtilo at the outskirt of Maiduguri, the Borno state capital.
A civilian JTF at the Check point, Garba Gora told our correspondent on phone that a bus driver who came with passenger loaded in bus told security at the check that they were suspicious of one person in the vehicle, who carried substances of IED.
He said “we quickly ask those in the vehicle to come down for thorough check, as we are about to check, the IED went off and killed the suicide bomber only, while one of our colleague sustained injury”.
Confirming the incident, the Zonal coordinator of the NEMA, Alhaji Mohammed Kanar said the suicide bomber succeeded in killing himself only.
Meanwhile, Boko Haram had on Friday attacked tiny villages of Kalwa, Misala and Gwollam, all under Monguno local government area of Borno state, during which they left 43 poor villagers killed either by gunshots or by blades of knives used in cutting their throats.
Though the police did not give specific number of dead casualties to journalists while confirming the attacks, local security sources from Monguno area said 43 dead bodies were found in pools of their blood in the morning of Saturday.
Responding to a text message sent to him asking to confirm the incident, CP Opadokun said “information revealed that gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists invaded Kalwa and Gwollam villages in Monguno Local government area; many persons were reported killed and several houses burnt. But we assure the public that patrol is in progress in the said area”.
Mr Haruna Bukar, who is a senior member of the Vigilante Group of Nigerian (VGN) in Monguno local government had informed reporters on phone that “Many villages under Monguno local government areas are being attacked almost on daily basis”.
“Boko Haram terrorists had on Friday night attacked Misala and Kalwa, which are two neighboring villages. The two villages are located not more than 17km from Monguno town on the way to Marte.
“They operated for hours on that night while setting houses ablaze; at the end of the deadly operation, 43 persons were found dead either killed by gunshots or slaughtered like animals. They did not stop there, they also attacked some other villages around the area, but luckily those villages were long deserted; so they went ahead to set the houses ablaze.
Mr. Bukar who said he had to relocate to Maiduguri also informed journalists that the gunmen had attacked Dankyali village on Saturday night, even though he could not ascertain immediately if there were serious casualties.
“One cannot say immediately if there is any dead or injured casualty in the Dankyali attack of Saturday; it is usually very difficult getting to communicate during attacks because of lack of communication networks”, he said.
Monguno has in the past one year become one of the most attacked Borno towns in the ongoing Boko Haram insurgency. About two weeks ago, Boko Haram terrorists had staged an attack on a village near the town when they shot dead 48 persons.
Towns and villages under Monguno local government area literally become easy target for attacks after the terrorists had on the 29th January, 2015 launched a major attack on the town and sacked one of the largest military barracks stationed there. It was believed the terrorists had also carted away large cache of arms from the barracks. End
