President Muhammadu Buhari has said he is deeply shocked by the brutal killing of tens of people by the Boko Haram/Islam in West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Gubio village, Borno State.
The president was reacting to the news of one of the most brutal terrorist attacks on innocent people emerging from the NorthEast where upto 80 persons were reportedly killed by the fiendish militants.
The President is said to be still expecting a detailed briefing by the Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum on the outcome of his visit to the affected communities.
Buhari said the “primordial nature of the killings is particularly shocking because it happened not long after the Ramadhan and Eid, and the country is preparing to celebrate the Democracy Day.”
He therefore charged the armed forces to sustain their recent string of successes against the terrorists to extract a heavy price from the attackers, and bring back all those they kidnapped as well as the large number of cattle rustled.
He also expressed the sincere condolences of the government and people of Nigeria to the bereaved families, communities and the government and people of Borno State.
Channels Television is reporting that earlier reports suggested that sixty-nine persons died from Boko Haram attack at Zowo, a village in Gubio town of Borno State.
However, latest figures show that more deaths were recorded in the early hours of Wednesday, it has added.
Seven individuals were also reportedly kidnapped in the onslaught which took place late in the night.
The insurgents stormed the village in large numbers shooting sporadically and killing many in sight.
The terrorists also set the village ablaze on their way out.
Over a thousand cows were reportedly rustled while hundreds of other livestock were either shot or burnt alive.
The villagers who are mostly farmers and cattle breeders had shown resilience in an earlier attack in April, killing two suspected Boko Haram members, however, the latest attack took them by storm as the insurgents came at the dead of night.
Local sources claim that last night’s attack appears to be a reprisal.
Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum on Wednesday visited the scenes of the deadly attack.
At the village, a survivor told Zulum that 81 residents were killed during the attack on Tuesday with 13 persons injured and seven others, including the village head were abducted.
While sympathizing with the people over the attack, Governor Zulum urged the Nigerian military to undertake a final onslaught that would put an end to the insurgency within the shore of the lake Chad.
Zulum described the attack as barbaric and unfortunate. He evacuated five injured persons in his convoy, for treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
“Last year, about the same number of people were killed in Gajiram. This is barbaric. It is very unfortunate.
“The only solution to end this massacre is by dislodging the insurgents in the shores of Lake Chad. Doing so will require collaborative regional efforts” Zulum said.
