Chat212 Power Fm ► About 13 people have again been killed in the latest attack on church worshippers by suspected Boko Haram insurgents in the Gwoza Local Government area of Borno State, a police source and fleeing residents said on Monday.
►“Some armed men stormed a church at Attagara village in Gwoza Local Government and opened fire on church worshippers while Sunday service was going on at about 9.30 in the morning, killing nine people, while the community also mobilised and succeeded in killing four of the attackers,” the police source said.
Over 40 people were reportedly killed while many others were wounded in the attack.
►“Some armed men stormed a church at Attagara village in Gwoza Local Government and opened fire on church worshippers while Sunday service was going on at about 9.30 in the morning, killing nine people, while the community also mobilised and succeeded in killing four of the attackers,” the police source said.
Also, a fleeing resident of Attangara, Marcus Zamani, said the insurgents came while the Sunday service was going on.
“The attack occurred in the morning at about 9.30 at EYN Church while the service was going on. Our church has some men as security group. They were usually vigilant at the church, especially when service is going on.
“As we were holding service, we started hearing gunshots and everybody fled, some through the windows and ran into the bush.”
According to Marcus, those whose houses are near the church also ran to their homes. Men in the community immediately mobilised and pursued the Boko Haram men, he added. “They were more than 10, they came with motorcycles and a car. Our vigilante group killed four of the Boko Haram and arrested three.
“I later discovered that nine of our men in the church security group were shot dead. I left Attangara yesterday (Sunday) afternoon, slept at Gwoza to get to Maiduguri today (Monday).”
An indigene of the area, who resides in Maiduguri, said his relation in Gwoza town who visited the village on Sunday afternoon told him about the incident.
“Nine of our people were killed but the community also killed four Boko Haram while attempting to flee. They arrested three,” Gava said.
Defence Headquarters also disclosed on Monday that troops have arrested a key suspect in the terror bomb explosion that rocked the Kabang community in Mubi, Adamawa State, on Sunday evening.
But Director of Defence Information, Chris Olukolade, a Major General, confirmed that 18 people died in the blast that occurred at a television view centre in the town.
He disclosed that the lone suspect was arrested in recent operational engagements by the troops when they cordoned the area in a swift response to the explosion.
Olukolade, who said the suspect was nabbed as a result of information from members of the public, also noted that the troops have killed nine suspected terrorists in two different operations in Borno State.
“The suspect was nabbed as observant members of the public confirmed sighting him alight from the vehicle used in conveying the explosive device that was detonated in Kabang shortly before the explosion.
“So far, 19 persons wounded in the explosion have been evacuated and are receiving medical attention in hospitals while 18 others have been confirmed dead,” Olukolade stated.
In a related development, Senate President, David Mark, on Monday said activities of Boko Haram insurgents had compelled government to withdraw Nigeria’s peacekeeping troops from Mali.
He made the remark at a two-day retreat on Nigeria’s Foreign Policy jointly organised by the Senate Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs in Lagos.
The Senate President said Boko Haram insurgency had become a major challenge to Nigeria’s efforts at forging relationships with its French-speaking neighbours.
“The activities of Boko Haram insurgents are beginning to affect Nigeria’s foreign policy,” said Mark, represented by his Chief of Staff, Anthony Manzo.
He held that any government’s foreign policy was an extension of its domestic policy. On its part, the Organisation of Islamic Countries (OIC) labelled members of Boko Haram group as criminal outlaws misrepresenting the religion of Islam.
Secretary-General of the OIC, Eyad Ameen Madani, announced this position on Monday when he led a delegation of the 57-member organisation to pay President Goodluck Jonathan a condolence visit over several deaths and destruction caused by Boko Haram activities in Nigeria.
Speaking to journalists after meeting with the President, Madani said Boko Haram’s activities have no place in Islam and should be clearly seen as what it is – terrorism.
“We are here to express our solidarity with Nigeria in facing up to this terrorist organisation and to condemn the terrorist acts they have been committing, and to show our condolences to the Nigerian people, to the families of those who were affected.
The OIC has issued statements that we are very clear, that these people are outlaws. “What they do is criminal act, it has absolutely nothing to do with Islam, Islamic teachings, the religion of Islam, the history, the culture, the civilization of Islam and we should identify them for what they are, as a terrorist group.
“So, we listened to the President and we offered what OIC could do in terms of expressing its support, its willingness to be actively involved in facing up this terrorist group,” Madani said.
Meanwhile, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Abdulwahed Omar, has alleged that the continued offensive by the Boko Haram sect in parts of the North East was an indication of huge financial impropriety within the military forces.
He, therefore, called on the Federal Government to institute a full scale, transparent and thorough investigation into the activities and challenges of security personnel deployed to the region.
Omar, in a statement on Monday, while reacting to the abduction and continued incarceration of over 200 Chibok girls in Borno State, also called on the National Assembly to probe the financial allocations to the military and the utilisation of those allocations.
He said the recent murder of Emir of Gwoza has exposed the soft underbelly of the operations that have gulped huge public funds.
“We are disturbed that despite huge resource allocations to security, security remains a serious challenge in Nigeria with the recent ambush and assassination of the Emir of Gwoza, Idrisa Timta, who was in company of two other Emirs on their way to Gombe for the funeral rites of their late colleague, the Emir of Gombe, Alhaji Usman Shehu Abubakar who died earlier at a London hospital.
“It is worrisome that these attacks are increasing even as the Minister of Finance recently announced that N130 billion had been spent on security, especially on the military who have been saddled with the responsibility of confronting the prevailing armed insurgency in the North East led by the Boko Haram elements.
“The ease and precision with which these attacks are carried out, despite numerous security check points and the number of security personnel deployed in the zone is worrisome and unjustifiable.
“If high profile traditional rulers could be attacked so casually just as villages and towns are being razed even in broad daylight, what would be the fate of ordinary citizens?
“For us, we believe the authorities need to demonstrate a high level of commitment to safety of lives and property in the country generally but especially in the North East, by carrying out deep investigations into the activities of security operatives including military personnel,” the NLC chieftain said.
Senator representing Southern Borno at, Mohammed Ali Ndume, however, expressed optimism that despite the insecurity predicament bedevilling the country there must be light at the end of tunnel.
He also commended the tireless off effort of the military in ensuring that the reign of the insurgents was tamed, adding that all hands should be on deck, irrespective of religious belief, to give the security operatives maximum co-operation “to fight this common enemy of Boko Haram insurgents”.
Ndume, who was still in mourning mood over the sudden assassination of Emir of Gwoza, his immediate local government, Shehu Timta Idrissa, by Boko Haram reiterated, while chatting with newsmen in his GRA residence in Maiduguri over the weekend that Nigerians should this time around join hands with the security in the fight against terror.
