Boko Haram Kill 52 People In Borno

Barely few days after the new Chief of Defense Staff gave his men a marching order to end Boko Haram insurgence by April 2014,the sect on Sunday evening attacked a village in Borno  State,   killing a soldier and 51 other persons.

About 16 others, including policemen  and traders, were injured  while  300 houses were  set ablaze  by the insurgents  in Kawuri, Konduga Local Government Area of the state.

The Kawuri  village  attackers were said to have planted several explosives in  the community  after attacking the nearby weekly market as  traders  were busy getting ready to close their stalls.

An eyewitness said those who sustained  varying degrees of burns were rushed to the Konduga General Hospital and the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital for treatment.

Bulama Kuliri,  a resident of the village, told  journalists that the attack lasted for more than four hours.

He said, “I believe more than 50 people were  killed in the attack because the whole village  was  razed by the Boko Haram  people.   There were   loud explosions from different directions  and dead  bodies littered  many parts  of  the village.”

Another eyewitness, Ari Kolomi, told the Associated Press that “no house in the village was left standing.”

“The gunmen were more than 50 and they were using explosives and heavy-sounding guns,” he added.

A soldier said two more improvised explosive devices exploded  early on Monday morning, narrowly missing security personnel who were  busy collecting corpses.

One of the police officers  that evacuated  the  wounded victims, also confirmed that at least 52 people were killed and 16  injured.

The state Police Commissioner, Lawan Tanko, confirmed the attack but said he was awaiting details on casualties.

A protocol officer in  the Government House told journalists that Governor Kashim Shettima was advised   to cancel his “planned visit” to the community  because “the military  were  still conducting an operation in the area.”

Shettima later met behind closed doors  with military and police officers in the state over the incident.