Suspected Boko Haram militants have burnt down three primary schools, a military facility in two days in Yobe state.
The schools were destroyed in two separate attacks that took place on December 24 and 26, 2018 in Kuka-reta and Katarko towns, within 20km radius of Damaturu, the state capital.
The schools razed down by the insurgents are Kuka-reta primary school, Katarko primary school and Ngaurawa primary school where hundreds of internally displaced children are currently schooling.
The village head of Kuka-reta, Lawani Babagana, said that Kuka-reta primary school, which is undergoing expansion was accommodating more number of displaced pupils that their parents decided to settled in the village.
“We don’t know how it would be when the students resume from vacation,” he said.
A resident, Alhaji Muhammad Goni, revealed that primary school in Katarko was razed by the insurgents in 2014 and was renovated by the state government in 2015.
“Unfortunately, it was destroyed again. Hundreds of pupils are attending the school, including the children that left IDP camp recently” he said.
He said the repeated attacks on the town had forced many residents to flee to Damaturu and other part of the state.
“The attacks had made us panic and force many people to flee because we cannot predict what’s in the mind of these boys (insurgents).
“We must leave our homes for a simple fact that the soldiers cannot protect us. They are the first to runaway each time there is attack, ” he said.
However, Damaturu residents were also panic by the repeated attacks on surrounding villages that are few kilometers away.
Many residents feared that the attacks were attempts by the insurgents to test their strength of possible attack on the state capital.
“We want the security operatives to be extra alert to avoid what happened during the last Boko Haram attack on the town on December 1, 2014,” a resident, Mr Zannah Suleiman said.
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