Latest reports said at least 48 persons have been killed in two villages in Borno state following separate attacks by suspected Boko Haram members .
More than 40 people were killed when Boko Haram on Wednesday morning staged an attack on Ngurmuji village close to Kirenowa ,a town in northern Borno where the sect last year hoisted its flag town in Marte local council of Borno State.It was the army that liberated Kirenowa.
One source said ‘They came in the morning, shortly after the morning prayers and began to open fire on the villagers..
“More than 40 were killed, and several others who escaped arrived Kirenowa villages with injuries, two of them later died in Kirenowa and were bureid today”.
In a related development,people travelling along Bama and Konduga road were killed in the morning hours of Wednesday by suspected Boko Haram members. Reports said they came under attack at Awulari ,50km from Maiduguri ,the Borno state capital.
A member of a vigilante group told journalists Maiduguri “the gunmen attacked at about 8am and shot dead the travellers at Awulari village in Kawuri Ward of Konduga local government. Awulari is 24km away from Konduga.
Continuing he said “the road to Konduga, Bama, Banki and Gwoza from Maiduguri is now a dead trap; you can almost predict that an attack would happen there everyday.
“These insurgents are gradually taking over most of the villages in that neighbourhood”, the vigilante said ,adding , “The road to Damboa too, from Maiduguri, is another no-go area, even for the military; places like Talasla, Ajigin, Mangozam, Abima, Abulam, Keloruwa; all within Damboa local government area have now been taken over by the Boko Haram gunmen”.
He added that the gunmen at times compel innocent villagers to carry out some duties or risk being killed.
In the words of the vigilante,”recently, they invaded Korede village in Damboa local government and at about 2pm on Friday, the 17th of May and surrounded the villagers while they were observing the Friday prayers. They commanded every one not to move, then they asked all those that had grinding machine in the village to step; they then asked the grinders to help them mill over 24 bags of maize and millets, which took them some hours before they could finish. After grinding the mills they asked everyone to remain where they were until they drove off – no one was killed on that incident” .
