Potiskum’s week of violence

In the last one week, Potiskum town has remained in the news following series of attacks. For now, many people have fled the town to avoid falling victims of the killings.   Many people have lost their lives penultimate week owing to attacks and gun battles between suspected militants of Jama’atu Ahlil sunnah Lidda’awati wal […]

In the last one week, Potiskum town has remained in the news following series of attacks. For now, many people have fled the town to avoid falling victims of the killings.

 

Many people have lost their lives penultimate week owing to attacks and gun battles between suspected militants of Jama’atu Ahlil sunnah Lidda’awati wal Jihad, also known as Boko Haram, and security forces of the Joint Task Force (JTF) in Potiskum.

Similarly, properties worth millions of Naira, including residential houses, primary, secondary and higher schools were set ablaze.

The death toll continued to rise over the days as suspected gunmen resorted to ambush and serial killings of civil servants, politicians and security agents.

Residents say over 40 people have so far been killed in Potiskum.

A rundown of people that lost their lives in the last couple of days reveal a terrifying onslaught on a generation that is already battling with so many challenges, including economic misadventure.

Three people were slaughtered on Monday in what was considered to be a coordinated night operation.

Almost around the same hour, a different set of attackers killed the Director of Finance and Supply, Yobe State Science and Technical Board, Malam Adamu Jasfa.

Two of his sons as well as his neighbour, Malam Saminu, were also killed, all in their homes located at T- Junction area, a suburb of Potiskum town.

Further attacks that followed included the murder of security guards and a barber in the house of a serving Customs controller in charge of Kaduna/Katsina as well as the private residence of a Federal House of Representative member (PDP, Nangere/Potiskum), Yakubu Mainasara.

The corpse of Musa Magazai, the principal of Government Day Secondary School, Potiskum was also discovered behind his residential house.

A witness revealed to weekly Trust that, “The gunmen asked Malam Musa what he is doing for living, and he replied that he is a principal. One of the assailants then exclaimed ‘You are the type of people we are looking for’ and they struggled with him before they slaughtered him and escaped with his car.”

Other cases of murder reported within the week included that of Alaramma Malam Galtamari at Dogon Zare and that of two other civil servants at Gashua Damboa road, all in Potiskum town.

On Wednesday night, the gunmen stormed the residential house of the village head of Gwaje (Hakimin Gwaje) Alhaji Mohammed Salisu Auwal and burnt down the house.

Two of his sons were reportedly thrown into the ravaging flames.

Attacks on schools and government building by the suspected insurgents persisted almost through the week. Some of the places destroyed included Islamic Schools- Iqra and Al-Furqan. The two schools were set ablaze.

Public schools burnt included Sabon Layi Primary School, Buraima Primary School, Chadi Primary School, FCE Potiskum Staff School and Business and Engineering Skills Centre all in Potiskum.

On that same night, three other schools were torched. These included King Abdulazeez Model Islamic School; Government Science Secondary School where four vehicles were burnt and College of Administration Potiskum, one of the surviving Legacies of the Premier of the Northern Region, Sir Ahmadu Bello where 14 vehicles were burnt.

Yobe State commissioner of Police, Patrick Egbuniwe, confirmed some of the killings saying that, “The hoodlums are trying to adopt the same operation like the one they did in Damaturu which we stopped.”

This week’s onslaught reminds residents of Potiskum the painful incident of the previous week which culminated in the sacking of many families.

Within few days, a retired Area Comptroller of Nigeria Custom Service (NCS), Waziri Ajiya was killed. Also killed was his son, Dr Ibrahim Waziri.

Ajiya Waziri was a cousin and close political ally of former minister of police affairs, Adamu Maina Waziri.

The former minister had reportedly shed tears when he paid condolence visit to Potiskum shortly after the death of his ally. This was despite persuasions by family members and acquaintance that he should not go to the volatile town.

A retired police Sergeant, Haruna Adamu, his wife and three children were also killed by unidentified gunmen.

Another victim was a tractor driver with the Potiskum Local Government Agricultural Department who was also killed in his house together with his six children.

“During the attacks, a total of 13 people were killed. The breakdown is as follows; two (2) serving policemen, one (1) retired policeman and his three (3) children, four (4) civilians and one (1) suspected terrorist. Also included in the figure are a retired senior Customs officer and his son that were killed,” JTF spokesman, Lieutenant Eli Lazarus said.

“After the attacks, bodies of the victims were evacuated and deposited in the mortuary. However, during the attacks, five (5) suspected terrorists were killed but their bodies were taken away by their members immediately and several others escaped with various gunshot wounds,” he added.

In essence, the story of Potiskum remains is the story of orphans and widows, whose lives were altered as a result of the sudden killing of their bread winners.

Our correspondents gathered that the JTF had deployed more troops to douse the tension and restore confidence into the minds of the fleeing residents.

Sources said troops have uncovered some hideouts of gunmen in parts of Potiskum.

“Some recoveries of weapons and Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) have been done. Suspected enclaves of terrorists have been destroyed,” the source, who does not want to named, said.

But the commissioner of Police, Patrick Egbuniwe, said he was not aware of any JTF raid in Potiskum.

However, despite the discovery of the hideouts and the efforts by security agencies to curb the menace, thousands of residents are fleeing their homes to neighbouring towns and villages within and outside Yobe state.

“This is the height of lawlessness,” Ibrahim Jirgi, a veteran journalist and a native of Potiskum exclaimed. “Our people are dying and their businesses have collapsed. No school is functioning. All the markets have been closed and banks no longer operate…the condition of our people is disastrous,” he said.

Jirgi said government must go beyond slamming curfew on the town. “The security operation must be overhauled because it is unbelievable that people are being killed in the dead of the night when movements are restricted and security operatives are virtually everywhere,” he said.

Those leaving the town said they were forced out for fear of being killed by the unidentified gunmen or falling victims of military operation.

The area that recorded mass out flux is Tandari ward, a settlement which was reportedly cordoned off by the JTF.

“Securities have engaged people in house to house search. We must leave the town to a safe place because both the assailants and the JTF are threat to our lives,” a resident said.

Residents said for now, gunmen move around and kill whoever appears not to be in tandem with their philosophy.

“On the other hand, the JTF hardly differentiates between the attackers and innocent man on the street. So, as far as they are concerned, everybody is a suspect to them,” another resident said.

He said most of the people migrating out of the town are civil servants. “The assailants kill anybody they want, civil servants are their main targets,” he said.

As at Thursday, residents were seen moving out of the town from all the exit roads in Potiskum and though Muslims in many parts of Nigeria are in festive mood, the people of the business hub of Yobe State are recounting their ordeal.