Boko Haram Kills Nine Persons, Destroys Six Churches, Hoist Flags In Fresh Borno Attack

BEVERLY HILLS, CA, May 27, (THEWILL) â€' Rampaging Boko Haram gunmen struck Monday night at Chinene village of Chikide- Joghode- Kaghum ward of Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, killing nine persons and destroying six churches and residential houses.

Several others were left with varying degrees of injuries from bullet wounds, with many forced to flee into the bushes and surrounding hills where they are currently taking refuge.

And to signify their conquest of the village, the insurgents were said to have hoisted their flags on some structures in Ashigashiya ward of Gwoza Local Government.

A local government official, Nglamuda Ibrahim, told THEWILL that many of his extended families and friend, displaced in the latest attack have been calling for assistance since Monday night.

He lamented that people are living in perpetual fear as some of them who had taken refuge on the hills claimed that there may be another attack as some the insurgents were seen around.

'As we speak now, I am still receiving distress calls from them, they were all crying and calling for help; no soldier or police official had gone there yet.

'The Boko Haram gunmen mounted their flags in Ashigashiya to depict that the ward is now under their ruler-ship.

'In last night's attack, six churches were burnt, eight persons were killed and several others seriously injured. We cannot count the number of houses that were burnt in Chinene village of Chikide-Joghode-Kaghum ward.

'They also attacked Amuda village where one person was killed and several others injured,' Ibrahim said.

According to Ibrahim,'Currently, as I am talking to you now, the insurgents have mobilised at Izhaghathagwa mountain, planning on how to finish (kill) our people; that is why they have been calling for help before the gunmen climb up to them.'

Listing the victims of the latest attack on Chinene village to include Bulama Dajiba, Bulama John, Haruna Wadda, Bitrus Kurma, Haruna Kwatha, Haruna Waruda, and Shaibu Galva, Ibrahim said we are now 'calling on the military authorities in the state to quickly go up there and help us rescue those poor villagers,their wives and children before the imminent danger of the gunmen attack caught them up on the mountains.'

According to him, 'We have a detachment of soldiers that were deployed to Gwoza but none of them cares to go behind the mountains, even though everyone hears the sound of the shootings there.'

Confirming the attack, a top security operative, craving anonymity, said: 'We all have received the report from Chinene village. It was really another sad episode there and we learnt that the insurgents hoisted their flag in Ashigashiya.'

The Police Public Relations Officer, Borno State Police Command, DSP Gideon Jubrin, could not be reached for official confirmation when filing this report as his telephone was switched off.