Boko Haram suspects kill villagers
About 100 people were killed when suspected members of Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram attacked several villages in north-eastern Nigeria, a witness said Thursday.
Many residents drowned when trying to flee across the Gadabul River in Konduga local government area near the Borno State capital Maiduguri on Wednesday night, a resident of nearby Allakaramti village told dpa.
An unknown number of women and children were abducted during the onslaught.
“The attacks started at about 7.30 pm with heavy gun shots, forcing everybody to flee,” said witness Goni Dango. “Most drowned in the river, while a few others were shot by Boko Haram.”
Insurgents killed five people in the village of Mainari, also located close to Maiduguri, in a separate attack on Wednesday night.
“We found five bodies,” Salisu Abba, a member of a civilian defense force, told dpa on Thursday. “Six other people were injured and taken to hospital for treatment.”
Boko Haram, which seeks to establish a state with its very strict interpretation of Islamic law, has killed thousands of people since 2009 in similar attacks.