Borno: Our Eight Hours Ordeal In The Hands Of Boko Haram Gunmen - Kawuri Residents

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, January 28, (THEWILL) - Smarting from the shock and ordeal of the deadly Boko Haram attack on their village weekend, residents of Kawuri village in Borno State, Tuesday, narrated their ordeal in the hands of the insurgents.

Recounting how the gunmen stormed their village and subjected the residents to over eight hours of terror Sunday evening, the residents disclosed that seven of their mosques were set ablazed and their Imam killed by the insurgents.

The villagers disclosed this to the Borno State governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima, who paid them a condolence visit, saying they had earlier on Monday buried 83 persons killed in the attack in which  50 others were injured.

Maintaining that 16 persons were still missing in the attack, they lamented that no help came from the security operatives while the siege lasted   as they  lamented that many of the victims were burnt to ashes, with six persons burnt beyond recognition.

The secretary of the Konduga Council, Alhaji Ali Kaka Yale, while giving  graphic details of the siege, told the governor that  the insurgents came in 26 vehicles, two armored tanks and six Army camouflage  Hilux Van.

A Councillor in Kawuri village, Dala Lawan, also said about 50 persons with serious bullet and fire injuries are currently on admission at three different hospitals in the state.

"We are still searching and burying corpses since yesterday; the first burial was 83 but more corpses are still being picked up in the bushes and some with serious injuries also died.

We have just found two more corpses which brings the death toll to 85 for now," Lawan said.

This came as the  head of the Civilian JTF in the village, Lawan Mustapha, who claimed that the market is the second largest in the area with traders from Bama, Konduga and surrounding settlements, said their assailants were speaking Kanuri and Hausa and seem  to know the village very well.

He alleged that the Imam killed at the central mosque was killed by one of his students (Almajiri) who is an undercover Boko Haram member.

A gory scene was presented at the hospital in Kodunga as victims of the attack with severe burns were seen screaming in pains with on their hospital beds.

A woman, Rabi Mallam, 46, who has a second degree burn, said she, her son and grand daughter were hiding inside their room when the gunmen set their home on fire.

"We ran inside the house for fear of gunshots but they came and put fire on the house while shooting.

I and the two kids could not come out because they were shooting.

We were there for hours before they left thinking we were dead.

' I covered the kids with heavy blanket soaked in water, but the fire still burnt us.

I cried for the children because they were calling me to take them out, but I couldn't ", Rabi said.

A newly - married couple who said they lost everything was  amongst those trooping out of the village when the   governor visited.

The governor directed the immediate rebuilding of the burnt mosques and market, as he promised to assist the victims rebuild their houses.

The governor also gave the family of those who lost their beloved ones N250,000 each.