Boko Haram Hits Niger Community
…Kill Eight At Mining Site For Ignoring Warning Not Return To Community
…Govt Condemns Attack
From PAULINE PODKA, Abuja
Gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect on Thursday invaded a mining site at Angwar Maigiro, a border village between Rafi and Shiroro local government areas of Niger State and killed no fewer than eight people.
The eight villagers, mostly youths, were rounded up by the gunmen and shot at a close range for refusing to heed to their (gunmen) warning never to return to the community.
Several others managed to escape with various degree of bullets wounds, fueling fears that the death tolls might increase.
Recalled that the Boko Haram sect after successfully dislodging the military from its camp in Allawa community, where two officers and four soldiers were killed, and the people fled in April this year, warned them not to return to the community.
The gunmen then converted their homes to operational base from where they (gunmen) engaged in various commercial activities including mining and large farming.
This latest killing is coming barely two months after 20 members of the community were beheaded precisely on June 7, for venturing to return to the community and their bodiless heads displayed on social media by the terrorists.
Similar faith befell another three members of the community on June 12, when they were killed in the presence of their wives after they had left IDP camp in Zumba to go and get some food stuff from the community.
Their wives were asked to go and tell the community that similar treatment would be given to any member of the community that ventured to return home.
A prominent political leader from Shiroro local government area who did not want his name in print for security reasons said that no single human being is left in the community, as the terrorists have converted their houses to their camps.
“As I speak with you, there is no single person in Allawa and some neighbouring villages. They have all left and most of them are staying in Erena, Zumba, Kuta and some are in Gwada, depending where you have relations.
“The terrorists are busy farming and doing mining around the communities. There are some brave but loyal members of the communities who have volunteered to farm soya beans for them (terrorists) just to enable them have peace and equally do their farming because there is no where for them to go.
“Since the military were dislodged from the community, there is no single security presence in the area. The government has equally kept sealed lip over the security situation in the area. The condition of the community is better imagined than experienced, no farming and no food for them.”
Meanwhile, the state government has reacted to the latest attack, describing the killing as inhuman and wicked.
The government in a statement by the governor’s press secretary, Bologi Ibrahim, quoted the Acting Governor to have described the attack as satanic, insensible, atrocious and callous.
“He says it is very disheartening and disturbing for fellow humans to carry out such a barbaric and vicious act on their fellow humans.”
The acting governor, while commiserating with the affected families, community members and the entire people of Shiroro local government area over the unfortunate incident, prays Allah to repose the souls of the departed, comfort their loved ones and grant quick healing to those injured.
However, the senator representing Niger East Senatorial district Alhaji Mohammed Sani Musa, while reacting to the killings, said he was broken and devastated by the continued killings of the people of his constituency.
He called on the federal government to intervene in addressing the deplorable security situation in the area, stressing the people have been forced to abandon their homes and farms with nobody catering for them.
“I am not in control of the security, the Army and the Police; that is why I will continue to appeal to Mr. President to help and intervene in this situation that my people are facing. My heart bleeds each time I hear of killing of this nature. I am broken.”