Eight persons were killed and several houses burnt down in separate attacks on Mangari and Warawara, villages in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State, residents who fled from the town told our correspondent on Monday on the telephone.
Abubakar Shekau
Mangari and Warawara villages are about five kilometres and seven kilometres away respectively from Buratai, the hometown of the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen. Tukur Buratai.
One of the residents of Magari who fled to Miringa town, Luqman Idris, told our correspondent on the telephone on Monday that the insurgents besieged his village at about 3.15pm on Sunday on motorcycles and bicycles.
He said they shot at anyone in sight and set houses ablaze.
Idris said, “I saw three persons who were killed and their corpses laid on the streets.
“When we arrived Miringa I was told that five other persons were missing, I cannot up till now tell you their whereabouts, we cannot say whether they were equally killed or abducted by the rampaging insurgents.”
The attack on Warawara it was learnt occurred after the siege to Mangari.
It was gathered from the residents of the village that the insurgents moved to Warawara from Buratai, setting virtually all the buildings ablaze and killing indiscriminately.
A resident of Warawara, Ismail Azeez, said the attackers came at about 6.15am on Monday, set houses ablaze and killed five persons.
Speaking to our correspondent on the telephone, Azeez said, “The Boko Haram fighters killed five persons in our village including my brother. As I am speaking to you now, our village head and other elders of the town have gone to bury the corpses and I believe when they come back we will know the number of those killed and their identities,” he stated.
A member of the vigilance group in Miringa, the largest village in the area, Alhaji Ahmed Miringa, confirmed the two attacks, saying, “there were two separate attacks on Magari and Warawara where eight persons were killed.”
He said some members of the vigilance group and soldiers had gone to Warawara village with the intention of going after the fleeing insurgents.
The Police Command in Rivers State says it has arrested one Elijah Owoh, an army Private, who was said to have absconded from his duty post in Biu, Borno State, for alleged armed robbery.
The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Chris Ezike, while parading nine other suspects before newsmen, on Monday, said the soldier shot and killed a male victim during a robbery operation.
“Owoh, during investigation, confessed his involvement in a robbery incident in which a male victim was murdered around Eneka Farm Road in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
“He admitted being a army Private with service number 12NA/68/7580-93 of 231 Battalion, Biu, adding that he fled the fight against insurgents in the North-East without official approval.”
Ezike said an AK-47 rifle with 90 rounds of ammunition in three magazines, a Mercedes Benz car with fake registration number, Lagos MS 301 KJA, were recovered from the suspect.
In another case, Ezike said policemen trailed and arrested a gang of three armed men around Elekahia, Port Harcourt, who specialised in kidnapping and killing of their victims.
He said the gang had, on July 5, abducted one Friday Ozogo, who killed and buried their victim in a shallow grave around Choba waterfront in the state.
“Unfortunately, despite their callous actions, the kidnappers continued to harass the victim’s family for ransom, and have collected over N500,000 before police tracked them down.
“The victim’s corpse has been exhumed and taken to the mortuary for autopsy, while positive identification has been confirmed by the family.”
The commissioner said that two locally made pistols and 7.62mm ammunitions were recovered from the suspects.
Similarly, Ezike said his men had apprehended a notorious kidnap kingpin while trying to collect ransom from relations of a lawyer who was abducted on July 21 in Eleme, Rivers State.
He said that through the arrest, the police rescued the kidnapped lawyer and arrested two other members of the gang which included a suspected witch doctor.
“During interrogation, the kidnappers revealed that they were contracted to execute the job for N1 million, and were given 20 per cent mobilisation fee.”
According to Ezike, one locally made revolver with six rounds of ammunition was recovered from the suspects.
The police also paraded four women and two male teenagers for their alleged involvement and conspiracy in the theft of a seven-month-old baby girl who was stolen from her home.
“The suspects confessed to have conspired and sneaked through a broken window at night and quietly stole the child at her parent’s home at Mile 2, Diobu, Port Harcourt.
“The baby was taken to Nekede, in Imo state, and sold for N200,000 to one Nkechi Anyanwu, 45, while two female accomplices of Anyanwu who resides in Owerri were equally arrested.
“The child’s mother, Mrs Rose Friday, had earlier reported the child’s abduction from her residence at the Mile One Police station,” he said.
Two would-be suicide bombers were on Sunday arrested in Biu town of Borno State, as they closed in on their target for attacks, security sources and witnesses said.
One of the suicide bombers was killed after he was intercepted as he was about to enter a crowded mosque where worshippers were observing their 2p.m. prayer.
“…Some of our youth(s) on guard suspected the would-be bomber carrying the decoder in his hand; and when they tried to frisk him, it was discovered the decoder was unusually heavy and the carrier began to fidget. As he was trying to escape the youths hacked him down and summarily killed him there and then,” one witness in Biu said.
The witness said the second suicide bomber was nabbed at a motor park where a female suicide bomber had detonated herself and killed over 20 others in February.
Witnesses said the male suicide bomber was almost boarding a bus filled with passengers when he was discovered and arrested.
According to those who saw the two suicide bombers, the duo had concealed their bombs in decoder devices of Satellite TV and made to appear as if they were newly bought.
“The second bomber was caught at the Biu motor park,” the source added. “In fact, he was about to enter a bus that was already having passengers, when it was also discovered that he too had a decoder device in his hand and had a bomb concealed in it. Immediately he was beaten up but not killed; as he was later taken to the military barracks and handed over to the soldiers there”.
At least 37 people died in Biu town in Southern Borno state when multiple explosions occurred at a military checkpoint at the entrance of the town, security sources and witnesses have said.
Boko haram in Borno
Twenty-three others were injured in the incide
A group of Boko Haram terrorists tried to enter Biu in a vehicle filled with explosives but were blocked by soldiers at a checkpoint along the Biu-Maiduguri road, a security official said.
“A Boko Haram terrorists alighted the bus and join other travellers from other vehicle to walk through the checkpoint with their hands raised above their heads,” witnesses said.
“But a vigilant member of the Civillian-JTF who was quick to spot the Boko Haram terrorists as he was pulling the pin off the hand grenade quickly corked his rifle and shot the terrorist in the head. The man fell down and the grenade exploded killing innocent travellers and children hawking satchet water and other snacks near the checkpoint.”
The soldiers were able to engage some of the Boko Haram insurgents behind and killed most of them. But about eight of them in the car that blew off after the grenade exploded also got killed beyond recognition, another witness said.
“We have 20 innocent persons and 17 Boko Haram that died while 23 others were injured,” a security official said.
TWO suspected mastermind of Biu explosion at a crowded market on Thursday have been arrested by men of the Civilian JTF and military operatives, sources and some residents have said.
The attack is the first ever suicide mission in Biu town since the commencement of Boko Haram insurgency.
Biu is the largest Borno town in the southern part of the state located 187 kilometres south of the troubled Maiduguri the state capital.
Vanguard gathered that,”the suspects have been handed over to security operatives for further interrogation” .
MAIDUGURI—Thirty-five persons were killed, yesterday, and several others injured during attacks by Boko Haram terrorists on three Borno communities. The three communities were Biu, the largest Borno town in the southern part of the state, Alkideow and Mbuta.
In Biu, a deadly explosion from a bomb that went off in a crowded market, reportedly killed 15 people with 21 others injured, according to witnesses.
Witnesses said the injured persons and corpses were being evacuated. Biu is the largest Borno town in the southern part of the state, located 187 kilometres south of Maiduguri, the state capital.
A resident of the town, Mwajim Ali Gana said: “A suicide bomber today (yesterday) launched an attack on innocent marketers on Biu plateau”.
Another eye witness said: “I was buying some soup ingredients at the vegetable section of the market around 3:15pm and suddenly there was a heavy sound and the market was covered with dust as the entire place was thrown into confusion. Human parts littered the scene as survivors scrambled for safety”.
A member of the Biu Youth volunteer vigilante group, popularly called “Civilian JTF” involved in the rescue of the victims told Vanguard on phone that a suspected member of the Boko Haram sect entered the vegetable section of the Market and detonated the Improvised Explosive Device (IED), killing several people at the market.
He said so far 15 bodies have been recovered while several other people with various degrees of injuries are currently receiving medical attention at the Biu General Hospital.
A medical doctor at the Biu hospital, who pleaded anonymity, said that seven bodies were brought from the scene, while eight persons died shortly after.
He also said 21 others with severe injuries were being prepared for referral to other major hospitals within and outside the state.
Yesterday’s suicide bomb attack was the first ever suicide mission in Biu town since the commencement of the Boko Haram insurgency.
A security source in Biu said a female suicide bomber detonated an Improved Explosive Device (IED) in Biu Main market killing three persons including the suicide bomber while 10 others were injured.
He said the female suicide bomber came to the market and detonated the IED which was attached to her body at about 3:30 pm, adding that those injured were rushed to Biu General Hospital for treatment’.
“The female suicide bomber sneaked into the market through the Third Gate of the Main market, when people were busy carrying out their business activities”, he added.
Another 20 persons killed in Mafa LG
In another development, more than two dozen suspected members of Boko Haram gunmen in a convoy of motorcycles attacked Mbuta village in Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State, killed nine people and torched of several houses and shops at about 7.25am, yesterday.
Mbuta village is near Khaddamari; the council headquarters of Jere, and 25 kilometres north-east of Maiduguri, the state capital.
According to the village head, Mallam Zakari, in a telephone conversation yesterday in Maiduguri; “the insurgents riding motorcycles attacked Alkideow village near our village, Mbuta as early as 4.30am but failed in taking away their cows, after killing nine people, before proceeding to Mbuta village by 7.20am and torched several houses and shops. When the gunmen burst into my village, they started shooting sporadically at any person in sight. Our houses and shops were not spared, as they killed 11 of my people here, including two old women, who were burnt to death in their huts, before the early morning attack on us,” said Zakari yesterday.
He added that “the bodies of the slain villagers littered the outskirts of Mbuta, as gunmen pursued them into the bush when they attempted to flee their houses. Two of my people escaped to Maiduguri with gunshot wounds, while other villagers who survived fled into the bush as the terrorists were still hunting for them, after they burnt down many of their houses.”
Vanguard also learnt that two hours after the attack, soldiers and some members of Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) stationed at Zabarmari rushed to the village, but the gunmen had fled on motorcycles towards the Mafa-Dikwa axis border areas with Cameroon. The Borno State police command, yesterday, also said that there were attacks on the outskirts of Maiduguri with some villagers feared killed in the early hours of yesterday.
Not fewer than 17 suspected members of the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists were killed in the early hours of Wednesday by men of the Nigerian Army in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State in north-east Nigeria, a top military officer said.
Boko Haram killed in Bama
The army officer, who does not want his name mentioned, told Channels Television that the sect members after attacking Azare of Hawul Local Government Area also in Borno state in a convoy proceeded to Biu and attempted to enter the Barracks located at the southern part of the town but their mission was cut short.
“The dreaded militants entered Biu and were proceeding to the Barracks as they always do to security formations while entering any town, but we intercepted them and 17 of them were killed instantly.”
He also said many of their vehicles were seized while some ammunitions and Improvised Explosive Devices (IED) were successfully detonated at the scene of the interception.
Residents confirmed that 17 bodies of the militants were deposited at the site of the interception while five Hilux vehicles belonging to the insurgents were seen at the site.
The residents also hail the security forces for their gallantry and prayed for the restoration of peace across the country.
The Chairman of neighbouring Hawul Local Government Council, Dr. Andrew Usman Malgwe, had confirmed to Channels Television that the insurgents came to Azare town around 5:30am and attacked the town burning the divisional police station in the Area.
In the meantime, normal activities have picked up after the failed attack on the Biu Plateau located some 180 kilometres south of Maiduguri the Borno State capital.
Biu has an armour cantonment located south of the town along Yola road.
Suspected members of the dreaded Boko Haram this morning launched an attack on a military checkpoint near the Army Barracks in Biu Local Government Area of Borno state.
Biu is the second largest council area in Borno State and is about 185 kilometres south of Maiduguri.
Residents and sources said, the insurgents. came through the Garkida-Yimirshika-Biu road and attempted to invade the Military barracks situated along the road before military operatives engaged them in gun battle.
Although, no one can ascertain whether there are casualties,people in communities around the Biu Emirates have started fleeing the area.
Sources attached to the 7 Division, Nigerian Army in Maiduguri confirmed the incident but said the military are on top of the situation.
A young man, named, Ibrahim Tilitili was said to have been paid the sum of two thousand Naira (N2,000), to burnt down few houses at Mandara Girau village in Biu local government area of Borno state.
Ibrahim, Chibok by tribe and resident of Mandara Girau village confessed that one Mallam Sani also a resident of the Village gave him the amount and instructed him to set some of the houses in the village on fire.
According to residents of the village, Ibrahim had succeeded in setting ablaze three houses and scare the people of the village who started running for their lives to safe heaven before some brave young men pounce on him, when they realized, it was a lone attack.
On realizing that, he was somebody they know in the village, they wanted to killed him, but some elders intervene and he was arrested and taken to Sarkin Baka- renown hunter in Biu town, where he made confession that, he was actually paid by Mallam Sani who is also resident of the village to set those houses ablaze.
Our Correspondent learnt that, after he was interrogated by Vigilantee leader (Sarkin Baka) in Hausa langauge and made the confession, he led the men who arrested him to his paid master, who was also arrested and handed over to police in Biu town
