Unknown Gunmen Murder Refugees In Borno

Unknown gunmen suspected to be members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect reportedly slaughtered two people taking refuge in Shaffa District of Hawul Local Government Area of Borno state over the weekend.

According to sources in Shaffa, the incident took place on Saturday night when residents in the community were asleep.

Residents confirmed that the attackers were members of the terrorists group because of how they operated in the area. The attackers, they said, completely removed the heads of the deceased and placed them on their chests before fleeing without confrontation.

Another source added that the attackers who after slaughtering their victims also warned residents including the traditional ruler in Shaffa to stop accommodating any Damboa refugees or risk deadly attacks.

It would be recalled the Commanding Officer of 195 Battalion a Divisional Police Officer, DPO, including 5 policemen and 16 soldiers, as well as many civilians were killed due to multiple attacks on Damboa Local Government Area some weeks ago.

* Boko Haram insurgents

Thousands of residents have allegedly fled Damboa to different locations, while others were taking refuge in designated camps in Biu and Maiduguri metropolis.

It is believed that the victims of the latest attack in Shaffa were among the over 10,000 displaced persons that fled Damboa.

A top politician from Shaffa, who did not want his name to be mentioned in print for security reason, stated that “the gunmen did not touch any residents of Shaffa as they only trace the whereabouts of their targeted victims and killed them before firing sporadic gunshots in the air warning people, especially the traditional ruler (name withheld), to stop receiving or accommodation any Damboa fleeing victims or risk attacks on his community.”

It was also gathered that the gunmen before fleeing from Shaffa told residents that they (terrorists) have vowed to hunt any fleeing Damboa refugee and kill, alleging that the people of Damboa are their enemies who were against their mission.

All the efforts to contact the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Gideon Jubrin, to confirm the attack were futile, but a reliable security source confirmed the incident.

As at the time of compiling this report, the Boko Haram sect has not claimed responsibility for the attack, but many people believe the terror attack is the handiwork of the militants group.

According to the United Nations, the Boko Haram sect has killed over 4,000 people in northern Nigeria and other parts of the country since 2009.

Source: Legit.ng