Fatshimetrie
In a new tragic episode of violence perpetrated by suspected Boko Haram members, at least two soldiers, a village headman’s son, two commanders of the Civilian Joint Task Force members, were killed when they were ambushed on a military convoy along Dikwa – New Marte road in Marte District, Borno State.
These attacks come days after suspected terrorists spread terror by massacring farmers in Ashigashiya village, located in Gwoza District, bordering the Mandara Mountains of the Republic of Cameroon.
Last week, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume (APC Borno South) strongly deplored the upsurge in attacks and killings by Boko Haram, especially against local and resilient farmers who have courageously chosen to return to their liberated communities after being displaced for over a decade.
According to corroborating sources, the ambush on Marte road by the terrorists took place last Monday but the information was slow to circulate due to poor telecommunications coverage.
It was reported that a Chairman and General Commander of the Civilian Joint Task Force in Marte and New Marte community were among the dead, while many of the injured were evacuated to an undisclosed hospital in Maiduguri for treatment.
Efforts were made to get confirmation from the police spokesperson, DSP Kenneth Daso, but were unsuccessful as of press time.
In another tragic incident, in Ashigashiya village, Gwoza district, terrorists seized farmers harvesting their crops, including a middle-aged woman, and massacred them.
A short video obtained by our correspondent shows another hostage being killed alongside the two farmers, while one of the commanders of the terrorists speaks in Mandara language, claiming responsibility for the barbaric act.
Vanguard had recently reported a similar situation of killings of farmers in Ngoshe, Gwoza District, by members of Boko Haram.
Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, a native of Gwoza, expressed sadness over the renewed attacks on the resilient farmers of Gwoza and other communities in the state.
Ndume, also a former Chairman, Senate Committee on Armed Forces, described the fresh killings as “very unfortunate”. He went on to pray for the repose of the souls of the victims, who lost their lives while farming to support their families.
The senator also offered his deepest condolences to the families bereaved by the recent Boko Haram attacks.
However, he commended the work of the armed forces, security agencies and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force as well as local hunters and vigilante groups for their sacrifices in the fight against the remnants of the terrorists, while stressing the need to equip the military with more sophisticated means to neutralize all dormant members of Boko Haram in the Mandara Mountains enclaves.