Terrorists reportedly kill 21 in fresh attacks on Borno villages

According to a Chibok resident, Chibok Hassan, who was quoted by The Cable, the attacks were carried out last Sunday and Wednesday.

The witness said the terrorists first attacked Kaya, a village 27 km from Chibok, adding that residents have deserted their homes.

He said, "There is no single soul remaining there (kaya)… The Boko Haram members came in the evening with their motorcycles, bicycles and started firing at everyone in sight.

"They burnt many houses. Those who were fortunate ran away, but those who couldn’t escape were attacked. All the villagers have moved out of the village.

"People did not hear about the killings because the village is not accessible. It is located inside the bush."

Two days after, Hassan said, the terrorists struck a village close to Gumsri, a Borno community.

He said 14 persons were killed in the aftermath of the second attack.

"Within two days, they returned and attacked the next village close to Gumsri which acts as kind of roadblock between us and Boko Haram," he said.

"As it is all the villagers in those communities have deserted, they have packed their belongings and come to Chibok. So many attacks and innocent lives have been lost in Damboa LGA but it is usually not reported.

"To us here in Chibok, we are living in fear because that it is the only place that has been like a roadblock to them coming to us. Some people that cannot withstand the situation are even moving to Maiduguri which is safe for them."

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He noted that soldiers find it difficult to get to the attacked villages "because of the far distance from where they are to the village."

"Even with the presence of a brigade, the problem the security people are having here is that mostly, the communities attacked are under Damboa council but the soldiers are closer to Chibok," he said.

The Nigerian Army spokesman, Sani Usman was not immediately available to comment on the reported attacks.