Boko Haram Kills 14 IDPs in Serach of Firewood in Monguno
Residents of Duwabayi village near Monguno town of Monguno LGA of Borno State said Tuesday that
Boko Haram insurgents attacked their people who were in search of firewood and ended up killing 14 villagers who were collecting firewood in the nearby bush near the village.
The bodies of the people were found at Duwabayi village near the garrison town of Monguno in Borno state late Tuesday by other firewood loggers from the same village.
“The bodies of the 14 men were evacuated to the police station in Monguno after some people reported seeing the bodies,” a CJTF leader in Monguno town said.
He said Duwabayi village was deserted last year after residents fled into IDPs camps in Monguno due to the incessant Boko Haram attacks. Boko haram terrorists who are loyal to an ISIL faction of the terrorists are known to have been operating in the area.
A resident of Monguno , Kulo Gana said," Fourteen dead bodies were brought this evening to Monguno and people have been going to the police station to see if they could identify them,"
Another resident, Bunami Mukhtar said ," the corpses had “bullet wounds”.
He added that the deceased firewood loggers were among thousands of IDPs taking shelter in IDPs camps in Monguno town after being displaced by boko haram insurgents from their homes.
He said those in the IDPs camps rely on food aid to eat but some turn to felling of shrubs and trees or vegetation, in order to sell to buy food.
Monguno is located 135 kilometres north of Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state and houses a military formation. The town has been repeatedly attacked by boko haram insurgents who have made several failed attempts to overrun the military base.
Boko Haram insurgents have also repeatedly attacked farmers, firewood loggers and herders, accusing them of passing information to the military and pro-government CJTF fighting the boko haram terrorists.
It will be recalled that Boko Haram’s decade-long conflict has killed more than 27,000 people and displaced 1.8 million others in the northeast region while the violence has spread to other neighbouring countries of Niger, Chad and Cameroon, Republics prompting a regional military response to fight the radical Boko haram group (MNJTF).