In an earlier development, suspected Boko Haram
insurgents, Friday evening, killed 10 persons in an
attack in Malamfatori, the headquarters of
Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State,
bringing the number of people killed in the two
attacks at the weekend to 18.
Federal Government officials were, yesterday,
unwilling to comment on the attacks amid the
truce talks.
However, one of the officials, who spoke to
Sunday Vanguard, said: ”Our attitude is simply
wait and see.”
Meanwhile, sources said that the alleged killing of
the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, and
the attendant effect on the operations of the
group may have forced it to negotiate with
government.
It was equally learnt that President Goodluck
Jonathan’s re-election bid may have played a role
in the latest efforts to resolve the Nigeria–Boko
Haram conflict.
Sunday Vanguard learnt that government’s
calculation was that the resolution of the Boko
Haram insurgency would be viewed favourably by
Nigerians to Jonathan ahead of his declaration
for second time.
The release of the more than 200 students from
Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok,
Borno State, kidnapped by Boko Haram in April,
more than 180 days ago, also featured
prominently on the truce talks held in Saudi
Arabia.
The eight persons killed in yesterday’s attack
around the Borno hilly communities included
motorists and passengers whose vehicles were
reportedly ambushed by insurgents.
Ambush
Dzur is a mountainous community harbouring
terrorist camps along the Biu- Garkida- Gombi-
Yola road where the late Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji
Idrissa Timta, and some other people were
ambushed and killed by suspected Boko Haram
gunmen early this year.
Just two weeks ago, some insurgents stormed
Shaffa community, about 10 kilometres from
Azare, the council headquarters, and killed over
20 people including a pastor of Living Faith
Church, Eluid Gwamna Mshelizza, who was
slaughtered on his way to his house after
delivering a sermon at about 10pm in the
community.
In that attack, no fewer than six churches were
razed while several houses and shops all
belonging to Christians were looted and
destroyed.
A motorist, who narrowly escaped yesterday’s
attack, Mallam Yakubu Ali Biu, told our
correspondent that the assailants, numbering over
50, armed with rifles and rocket propelled
launchers, barricaded the highway and opened fire
on motorists and passengers from Biu to Yola,
which led to the killing of eight persons while
many others sustained gunshot injuries.
On how he escaped, he said, ” My brother, it is by
the grace of God that I and some passengers
survived. I was coming from Biu to Gombi when I
sighted motorists running into the bush and in
different directions. I began to hear sound of
gunshots. I quickly made a U-turn back to Biu. A
taxi driver who overtook me on the road around
Tashan Alade was among the victims”.
A residents of neighbouring Shaffa community,
Mr. Mwajim Anjili Balami, told our correspondent
on phone in Maiduguri that the insurgents came
through Kwokshar village and were trying to enter
Shaffa.
“As I am talking to you now, residents have run
away from Shaffa because of lack of security
presence. Our local hunters and vigilante groups
tried to resist the attack, but they were
overwhelmed.”
The 10 people reportedly killed by gunmen in
Malamfatori, Abadam local government area, on
Friday, were said to have included a brother to a
Director in the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation in
Borno State.
Abadam is north and borders Niger and Chad
Republic, about 270 kilometres from Maiduguri.
Sources told Sunday Vanguard that the
insurgents, numbering over 100, were fleeing from
Marge, Monguno and Dikwa axis towards the Lake
Chad basin when they were confronted by
vigilante youth, a situation which forced them to
open fire on residents killing 10 and leaving over
30 others with gunshot injuries.
A resident who lost a brother said the incident
took place at about 5pm on Friday.
Efforts to contact Borno State police Public
Relations Officer, DSP Gideon Jubrin, were
unsuccessful as his phone lines were not
reachable, but a security source confirmed the
attack.
Losses
Sunday Vanguard was informed, yesterday, that
the death of Shekau, leader of Boko Haram,
“forced its upper cadre to reach out to President
Idris Deby Itno of Chad to help it enter into truce
with the Nigerian authorities.”
Also, it was learnt that the pounding of the
group’s bases in some parts of the North East,
coupled with its losses on the field, played a role
in the deal.
In fact, during negotiations, one of those who
spoke for the insurgents was said to have
explained that some of the terror acts attributed
to Boko Haram were not its handiwork but that it
appropriated and claimed them because it
instilled fear in the people.
Sources also said the continued abduction of the
Chibok girls had made it very impossible for
President Jonathan to be seen making statements
regarding his re-election.
“There was no way he could have come out to
talk about his re-election when the girls were still
in captivity”, a presidential source said.
“The President himself was more or less a
hostage to the entire situation.
“Now that the release of the girls is imminent, the
pace of activities regarding the President’s re-
election would be revved”.
In a related development, the senator representing
Borno Central, the hot-bed of Boko Haram
attacks, Ahmed Zana, when contacted to react to
the ceasefire agreement, yesterday, said he had
no comment as he would watch unfolding events.
Another Borno senator, Ali Ndome, representing
Borno North, said though he was not aware of
such agreement or cease fire, what was
important to him was the release of the abducted
Chibok girls and in good health.
insurgents, Friday evening, killed 10 persons in an
attack in Malamfatori, the headquarters of
Abadam Local Government Area of Borno State,
bringing the number of people killed in the two
attacks at the weekend to 18.
Federal Government officials were, yesterday,
unwilling to comment on the attacks amid the
truce talks.
However, one of the officials, who spoke to
Sunday Vanguard, said: ”Our attitude is simply
wait and see.”
Meanwhile, sources said that the alleged killing of
the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau, and
the attendant effect on the operations of the
group may have forced it to negotiate with
government.
It was equally learnt that President Goodluck
Jonathan’s re-election bid may have played a role
in the latest efforts to resolve the Nigeria–Boko
Haram conflict.
Sunday Vanguard learnt that government’s
calculation was that the resolution of the Boko
Haram insurgency would be viewed favourably by
Nigerians to Jonathan ahead of his declaration
for second time.
The release of the more than 200 students from
Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok,
Borno State, kidnapped by Boko Haram in April,
more than 180 days ago, also featured
prominently on the truce talks held in Saudi
Arabia.
The eight persons killed in yesterday’s attack
around the Borno hilly communities included
motorists and passengers whose vehicles were
reportedly ambushed by insurgents.
Ambush
Dzur is a mountainous community harbouring
terrorist camps along the Biu- Garkida- Gombi-
Yola road where the late Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji
Idrissa Timta, and some other people were
ambushed and killed by suspected Boko Haram
gunmen early this year.
Just two weeks ago, some insurgents stormed
Shaffa community, about 10 kilometres from
Azare, the council headquarters, and killed over
20 people including a pastor of Living Faith
Church, Eluid Gwamna Mshelizza, who was
slaughtered on his way to his house after
delivering a sermon at about 10pm in the
community.
In that attack, no fewer than six churches were
razed while several houses and shops all
belonging to Christians were looted and
destroyed.
A motorist, who narrowly escaped yesterday’s
attack, Mallam Yakubu Ali Biu, told our
correspondent that the assailants, numbering over
50, armed with rifles and rocket propelled
launchers, barricaded the highway and opened fire
on motorists and passengers from Biu to Yola,
which led to the killing of eight persons while
many others sustained gunshot injuries.
On how he escaped, he said, ” My brother, it is by
the grace of God that I and some passengers
survived. I was coming from Biu to Gombi when I
sighted motorists running into the bush and in
different directions. I began to hear sound of
gunshots. I quickly made a U-turn back to Biu. A
taxi driver who overtook me on the road around
Tashan Alade was among the victims”.
A residents of neighbouring Shaffa community,
Mr. Mwajim Anjili Balami, told our correspondent
on phone in Maiduguri that the insurgents came
through Kwokshar village and were trying to enter
Shaffa.
“As I am talking to you now, residents have run
away from Shaffa because of lack of security
presence. Our local hunters and vigilante groups
tried to resist the attack, but they were
overwhelmed.”
The 10 people reportedly killed by gunmen in
Malamfatori, Abadam local government area, on
Friday, were said to have included a brother to a
Director in the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation in
Borno State.
Abadam is north and borders Niger and Chad
Republic, about 270 kilometres from Maiduguri.
Sources told Sunday Vanguard that the
insurgents, numbering over 100, were fleeing from
Marge, Monguno and Dikwa axis towards the Lake
Chad basin when they were confronted by
vigilante youth, a situation which forced them to
open fire on residents killing 10 and leaving over
30 others with gunshot injuries.
A resident who lost a brother said the incident
took place at about 5pm on Friday.
Efforts to contact Borno State police Public
Relations Officer, DSP Gideon Jubrin, were
unsuccessful as his phone lines were not
reachable, but a security source confirmed the
attack.
Losses
Sunday Vanguard was informed, yesterday, that
the death of Shekau, leader of Boko Haram,
“forced its upper cadre to reach out to President
Idris Deby Itno of Chad to help it enter into truce
with the Nigerian authorities.”
Also, it was learnt that the pounding of the
group’s bases in some parts of the North East,
coupled with its losses on the field, played a role
in the deal.
In fact, during negotiations, one of those who
spoke for the insurgents was said to have
explained that some of the terror acts attributed
to Boko Haram were not its handiwork but that it
appropriated and claimed them because it
instilled fear in the people.
Sources also said the continued abduction of the
Chibok girls had made it very impossible for
President Jonathan to be seen making statements
regarding his re-election.
“There was no way he could have come out to
talk about his re-election when the girls were still
in captivity”, a presidential source said.
“The President himself was more or less a
hostage to the entire situation.
“Now that the release of the girls is imminent, the
pace of activities regarding the President’s re-
election would be revved”.
In a related development, the senator representing
Borno Central, the hot-bed of Boko Haram
attacks, Ahmed Zana, when contacted to react to
the ceasefire agreement, yesterday, said he had
no comment as he would watch unfolding events.
Another Borno senator, Ali Ndome, representing
Borno North, said though he was not aware of
such agreement or cease fire, what was
important to him was the release of the abducted
Chibok girls and in good health.
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