Borno village attacked minutes after gov’s visit

About 30 insurgents killed an unspecified number of locals and destroyed the remaining buildings and structures in the ravaged village. The actual death figure remained unclear by press time yesterday but our correspondents gathered that many people, including locals, security men as well as the terrorists were killed during a firefight with soldiers.Sources said the […]

About 30 insurgents killed an unspecified number of locals and destroyed the remaining buildings and structures in the ravaged village. The actual death figure remained unclear by press time yesterday but our correspondents gathered that many people, including locals, security men as well as the terrorists were killed during a firefight with soldiers.
Sources said the gunmen had while on their way to Mafa ambushed a security patrol vehicle which was conveying some troops to Marte Local Government.
“There was fierce battle between the terrorists and the troops and while the fighting lasted, another set of hoodlums stormed Mafa,” a security source said. Locals that fled to Maiduguri told journalists that the terrorists had shortly after the first attack promised to return.
“They told us that they would level Mafa, that they would wipe it out completely and it seems they have accomplished their mission,” said Usman Abba, a resident. Before he departed Mafa  Wednesday, Shettima donated N100 million for the rebuilding of burnt houses and the resettlements of victims. He also approved the payment of N250, 000 each, totalling N8, 750,000 to the families of the 35 people killed during the first attack.
Shettima was conducted round the destroyed village by local government officials who said apart from human casualty, property worth millions of naira was destroyed.  Located 35 kilometers along the Maiduguri-Dikwa-Gamboru Ngala road, hundreds of locals in Mafa fled their homes at night on the day of the attack only to discover in the morning that all their belongings, including schools, court, mosques and other buildings were burnt by the attackers.
 Governor Shettima was visibly shocked but urged locals to persevere and assured that his government would help them rebuild their houses and business premises.
Hundreds of locals in Mainok and Mafa are yet to return to their houses for fear of further attacks. 53 people were killed in Mainok Saturday while 35 others were killed in Mafa on Monday. Hundreds of private houses, shops and public buildings were destroyed in the two places.
Locals told Governor Shettima that they couldn’t risk returning to the villages because they had no houses to stay in, no food to eat or water to drink and there are no enough security men on ground to protect them. One of their spokesmen, Babagana Kolo, told the governor; “We are facing serious humanitarian crisis here…nobody sleeps here and we only rely on goodwill from neighbouring villages. We come here during the day in anticipation of assistance and disappear in the evening. Those that have relatives in Maiduguri have relocated there but many of our people are wandering around”.  The governor, who shed tears when he saw the devastation in Mainok, urged the locals to persevere and directed that 600 bags of assorted foodstuff be distributed to them and promised that their destroyed houses would be rebuilt in the coming days. The governor’s visit to Mainok was after the Mafa visit Wednesday.
Meanwhile, angered by recent happenings, the member representing the area at the House of Representatives, Mahmoud Lawan Maina, said the people must be ready to protect themselves.
“It is high time residents took up arms to defend themselves since the security agencies do not have the wherewithal to protect vulnerable civilians. Whenever there is an attack, they would simply flee and abandon the people,” he said.  He said unless vulnerable people strive to protect themselves, the tendency is that they would be forced into extinction by heartless insurgents.