BY ABDULLAHI ISAH, MAIDUGURI
Scores of people were killed, when Boko Haram insurgents attacked Dalori and Koda villages of Konduga local government area of Borno state at the outskirt of Maiduguri, capital of the state.
A resident of Dalori village, Mallam Abba Abor said the insurgents who came at about 5:30 pm on Saturday started throwing explosives and rocket propelled grenades at houses and shops, razing down the whole villages, killing hundreds of people including women and children. The attack lasted for over four hours.
He said “the insurgents came in military uniforms and we thought they were soldiers before they started throwing explosives on houses and shops. They came at about 5:30 pm yesterday and it lasted for over four hours. They set ablaze the whole village killing hundreds of people including women and children.”
“The Boko Haram terrorists killed a lot of people, hundreds of people, some of them are even beyond recognition but what I know is that I lost my brother and his wives and children in the incident”, Abor who spoke in tears said.
Another resident of the area, Fannami Bulama said three female suicide bombers also killed a lot of people who fled to the nearby village of Kafa, as they disguised as fleeing residents of Dalori and shortly after the military operatives asked them not to run, on gathering under a tree, they detonated their IEDs killing hundreds of people.
Our correspondent who visited the area reports that the whole village was razed down, and burnt human flesh was seen littering the streets and houses of the village.
A civilian JTF member, Ibrahim Bukar told newsmen that the insurgents caused a lot of havoc on the villages and that the soldiers at the Dalori camp checkpoint intervened, throwing RPGs and artilleries and killing scores of the insurgents.
While confirming the incident, the media coordinator of Operation Lafiya Dole, Col. Mustapha Anka, in a press statement said “In their desperate efforts for reprisal attacks on strong, determined and committed members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and innocent citizens, yesterday 30 January 2016 BHT, insurgents launched attack on Dalori through Yale (from the rear of Dalori village).”
The statement further stated that an eye witness said that the insurgents came in two Golf cars and motorcycles, and started opening fire and burning houses. Their motive was to cause rancour and penetrate the crowd with suicide bombers.
“ While people were running for their dear lives to Gomari Kerkeri village three female suicide bombers attempted to make their way into the crowd but were intercepted and subsequently got blown up. During the incident, lives were lost while some people sustained injuries”, the Operation Lafiya Dole officer stated.
According to Col. Anka, the insurgents also attempted to penetrate Dalori IDP camp, but the attempt was resisted by the troops which resulted in the detonation of IEDs by the suicide bombers.
Theater commander Operation Lafiya Dole, Major General Hassan Umaru, who visited the scene condoled the District Head Alhaji Lawal Bashir and the entire people of the area over the unfortunate incident and assured them of the Theatre’s commitment to bringing insurgency to an end soon.
Wile commending the villagers for their resilience, General Umaru urged them to be strong and committed to the fight against insurgency. He also commended NEMA, SEMA, Red Cross and other stakeholders for their tireless humanitarian efforts.
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