Survivors have recalled how they escaped
from Boko Haram fighters in the aftermath of
last week's devastating attacks.
The witnesses' accounts came to light on
Thursday after Amnesty International released
satellite images showing what it says is
"indisputable and shocking evidence" of the
scale of the attacks.
Before and after images of two neighbouring
towns, Baga and Doro Gowon in northeast
Nigeria taken on January 2 and 7, show the
effect of the attacks which left more than
3,700 structures damaged or completely
destroyed.
Alaji Bukar, a young boy who fled Baga to
Maiduguri, more than 150km south, told newsmen that fighters caught families as they
tried to escape.
"They separated the children from the adults
who were asked to lie down. They were shot
dead," he said.
"We were taken back to their camp.
We
escaped when they were busy burning
homes."
Another survivor, Muhammad Umar, said Boko
Haram fighters chased him for more than a
week before he made it to Maiduguri, the
capital of Borno state.
"They followed us on motorcycles and trucks.
They shot and hacked at us. We were
trampling on dead bodies as we ran in the
bush," he told Journalist.
"We kept on for two days before we reached
the main road and five to reach safety. We've
lost more than 1,000 people. The whole town
is burned down as far as I see."
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