Survivors of a suspected attack by Boko Haram and family members of victims stand in Babban Gide on September 4, 2024. | Photo credit: AFP
At least 100 villagers were killed in a suspected terrorist attack in northeastern Nigeria. Boko Haram Islamic extremists On Wednesday (September 4, 2024), residents said shots were fired at a market, on worshippers and in people’s homes, the latest killings in Africa’s longest conflict with an insurgency.
According to Yobe police spokesperson Dungus Abdulkareem, more than 50 extremists on motorcycles stormed the Tarmuwa council area of Yobe state on Sunday (September 1, 2024) evening and opened fire before setting buildings on fire.
Police have blamed the attack on Boko Haram, which has waged an insurgency to impose its fundamentalist interpretation of Islamic law, or Sharia, in the region since 2009. Boko Haram has since splintered into splinter factions, causing at least 35,000 direct deaths and the displacement of more than 2 million people, with millions more in desperate need of foreign aid, creating a humanitarian crisis.
At least 1,500 people have been killed in the region so far this year in attacks by armed groups, according to the US-based Armed Conflict Location and Event Data Project (ACLED).
Yobe Deputy Governor Idi Barde Gubana put the death toll from Sunday’s (September 1, 2024) attack at 34. Contradictory data is a common trend in security crises, with the number of survivors often higher than official figures.
Only one of the 34 dead reported by the deputy governor were buried in the village, said community leader Zana Omar, who said he had so far confirmed 102 villagers killed in the attack. Most of the others had either already been buried before authorities arrived, or their bodies had been taken to other locations for burial.
“We are still searching for more people as many are still missing,” Mr Omar said.
Sunday’s attack was one of the deadliest in Yobe in the past year. The state is less frequently attacked than neighbouring Borno, which is the epicentre of the war with Boko Haram.
Local media reported that the insurgents claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was in retaliation for villagers informing security operatives about their activities. The insurgents were quoted as saying that several Boko Haram members were killed as a result of the information provided by the villagers.
Confidence McHarry of Lagos-based security firm SBM Intelligence said reprisals are common in the northeast and that villagers sometimes “pay a price” after military operations.
“This is the first time our community has suffered such a devastating attack,” said local chief Buba Adamu, his voice filled with grief and fear. “We never thought something like this could happen here.”
“Some places (in the region) are completely outside the control of the Nigerian army and villagers often live in fear of reprisals,” Mr McHarry said. He said Nigerian security forces only go to such places for operations but do not have enough manpower to stay on the ground.
Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who was elected last year on a promise to end the conflict with Boko Haram, condemned the attack in a statement in which he sought to assure the villagers of justice but said nothing about security measures.
Security analysts have questioned Tinubu’s security policies, saying he has so far taken no bold steps to solve the killings and that the problems he inherited, such as inadequate resources and manpower, still persist.
Published – September 05, 2024 12:03 am IST