Boko Haram kills 148, injures 68 in fresh Borno attacks

Gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect evaded Kukawa town of Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State killing at least 148 people and leaving about 68 wounded on Wednesday night.

Kukawa is a farming and herding community, located about 179 kilometres north of Maiduguri, the state capital.

One of the survivors who escaped to Maiduguri gave a horrific account of how the terrorist surrounded the entire village and started shooting sporadically at the time the Muslims were about to break their fast for the day.

“We started hearing gunshots from nowhere all over the town. The terrorists surrounded the town shooting sporadically on the residents. Confusion and panic took over the town as people began to run for their lives to unknown destination confused,” Aji Bukar narrated.

He disclosed that the insurgents hard a field day with their weapons shooting at sight any human object on their way as people ran to the bushes or their houses and locked themselves up for safety.

He added that many of the dead bodies are still littered on the streets as the residents are afraid to come out to bury the dead at the time he had escaped.

“As I speak to you, some of the corpses were still not buried. People are afraid to come out. The entire village is deserted. Elders in town were afraid the attackers may return which is delaying the burial of the dead bodies scattered over the town,” he said.

A member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) also told newsmen that the insurgents caught up many residents and shot them in two separate mosques with the injuring of several others.

“People were just preparing to break their Ramadan fast and already gathered in nearby mosques when Boko Haram people came in a convoy of Toyota Hilux vehicles and motorcycles painted in ash colour.

“They rounded up people and opened fire on them. Boko Haram later set fire on several houses, burning many people. One of our colleagues who escaped the attack said they recovered 97 dead bodies, some of them burnt beyond recognition before burying them this afternoon (Thursday),” he said.”

Similarly, about 48 people were on Tuesday night killed in Monguno town of Monguno Local Government Area of Borno State.

No fewer than 23 people were also reported to have sustained various injuries and some houses and shops were also touched by the gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists.

Narrating on the Monguno attack, an escapee informed that the insurgents fled from the Sambisa forest and regrouped on the shores of Lake Chad to attack unprotected villages near Monguno town.