B/Haram kills many farmers, others in fresh Yobe attack

• Burn houses, shops

• ‘State govt plans mass burial’

• Insecurity disrupting agricultural activities – Northern govs

Boko Haram terrorists were said to have killed many villagers, mainly farmers, and set houses and shops ablaze at Mafa village in Tarmuwa Local Government Area of Yobe State on Sunday.

Security agencies confirmed the attack yesterday, but could neither give the details of the attack nor confirm the casualty figures.

Sources told Daily Trust that the insurgents attacked the village around 4pm when residents were returning from their farms.

Last month, two persons were killed and 475 households displaced in an attack by Boko Haram which reportedly affected over 2,390 people across four communities within the Mafa ward.

A source from Babangida town, the headquarters of Tarmuwa LGA, who spoke to our correspondent yesterday, confirmed the latest attack, saying the insurgents also set many houses ablaze.

“I left the town on Saturday, but the attack occurred on Sunday evening. My uncle was in the village when it happened, but due to network issues, we haven’t been able to speak with him. The situation is miserable.

“My brother informed me that over 40 to 50 people, mostly farmers, are feared to have been killed by the insurgents. We are awaiting the military to evacuate the victims’ remains for a mass burial,” he said.

Another source said the attack might be a retaliation against the villagers for allegedly providing information to the military, which led to the killing of several insurgents last month.

“In July, some residents provided intelligence about the terrorists’ activities to the military, which resulted in a successful operation against them. This likely angered the insurgents, leading to the recent attack,” the source said.

The spokesman of the Yobe State Police Command, Dungus Abdulkarim, confirmed the attack in a phone call with Daily Trust, but noted that details were still unclear due to the network failure in the affected area.

“We cannot yet confirm the exact number of casualties, but the attack occurred around 4 p.m. in Mafa.

“The insurgents arrived on over 50 motorcycles, setting shops and houses on fire and killing several people. They also left behind some fliers with Arabic inscriptions,” Abdulkarim said.

The Special Adviser to the Yobe State Governor on Security Matters, Brigadier-General Dahiru Abdulsalam (Rtd), also confirmed the attack.

He said military personnel had been deployed in the area and that normalcy had been restored.

A source from the deputy governor’s office told Daily Trust that the state government was planning a mass burial in Babangida town “as the military prepares to evacuate the victims’ remains from the affected village.”

Mafa village is near Shekau village, the hometown of the late Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau.