Suspected individuals believed to be affiliated with Boko Haram, dressed in military uniforms, have reportedly killed 12 people and abducted one individual in Gatamarwa and Tsiha communities in the Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State.
Borno State Police Public Relations Officer, Nahum Daso Kenneth, confirmed the incident, stating that 12 corpses were recovered from the attack. Gunmen, armed with AK-47 rifles, reportedly shot at people in the communities, resulting in casualties and injuries.
The police commissioner and other security officials have initiated a discreet investigation into the matter to apprehend the perpetrators. The assailants, described as heavily armed insurgents on motorcycles and in Hilux vans, targeted mourners returning from Gatamarwa.
Additionally, the terrorists attacked Tsiha community near Shikarkir, killing three people, abducting a young lady, and burning houses after looting foodstuffs. This incident occurred around 5 pm on New Year’s Day.
In a separate incident reported by The PUNCH in September 2023, Boko Haram insurgents killed 10 farmers and abducted several others in the Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State. The attackers, armed with weapons, targeted farmers in search of food and cash.
Residents provided varying accounts of the number of abductees, with conflicting reports indicating four and up to nine individuals taken by the insurgents. The motive behind the killings and abductions was allegedly to prevent immediate reporting of their operations to security agents, minimizing the risk of a prompt counter-operation.