81 people died and several were missing after an attack by suspected Boko Haram militants in Nigeria’s northeastern Yobe State, local officials told AFP on Today
“Around 150 suspected Boko Haram terrorists armed with rifles and RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades) attacked Mafa ward on more than 50 motorcycles around 16:00 hours on Sunday,” said Abdulkarim Dungus, a Yobe state police spokesman.
“They killed many people and burnt many shops and houses. We are yet to ascertain the actual number of those killed in the attack.”
Dungus said it appeared to be a revenge attack “for the killing of two Boko Haram terrorists by vigilantes from the village.”
Bulama Jalaluddeen, a local official, added: “From these figures it has been established that at least 81 people were killed in the attack.”
“Fifteen bodies had already been buried by their relations by the time soldiers reached Mafa for the evacuation of the corpses.
“In addition to these, some unspecified number of dead victims from nearby villages who were caught up in the attack were taken and buried by their kinsmen before the arrival of the soldiers. Many people are still missing and their whereabouts unknown.”
Boko Haram and other militant groups have waged a 15-year insurgency in northeast Nigeria that has killed more than 40,000 people.
Central and northwest Nigeria have been plagued for years by gangs of criminals known as “bandits,” who raid villages, kill and abduct residents, and burn homes after looting them.
By working alongside these gangs, militant groups have increasingly established a presence in central Niger state, officials and analysts say.
The jihadist group Boko Haram has been blamed for the assault. Yobe State Police reported that approximately 150 suspected Boko Haram members, armed with firearms and grenades, attacked the village of Mafa on motorcycles.
Nigerian police spokesman Abdulkarim Dungus suggested that the attack was likely in retaliation for the killing of two Boko Haram members by local self-defense groups. The jihadists have accused the residents of Mafa of collaborating with the military in its efforts against Boko Haram.
Bulama Jalaluddeen, a spokesperson for the local government of Tarmuwa, where Mafa is situated, confirmed that at least 81 people were killed. Of these, 34 bodies have been buried in Babbangida, the local government seat, while 30 others remain in Mafa.
The police have not yet provided specific numbers, but they estimate that Boko Haram killed many people and set fire to numerous stores and homes during the attack. The villages in Yobe, predominantly populated by farmers and herders, frequently face looting and extortion by jihadists.
In late October 2023, police, aided by villagers, killed several jihadists near Kayayya after receiving threats. In retaliation, Boko Haram killed 37 people over two days, including 20 who were returning from funerals for the previous day’s victims. Boko Haram has been active since the onset of the jihadist insurgency in 2009, a conflict that has claimed over 40,000 lives.
Dungus said it appeared to be a revenge attack “for the killing of two Boko Haram terrorists by vigilantes from the village.”
Bulama Jalaluddeen, a local official, said at least 81 people were killed in the attack.
Fifteen bodies had already been buried by their relations by the time soldiers reached Mafa for the evacuation of the corpses, said the official.
“In addition to these, some unspecified number of dead victims from nearby villages who were caught up in the attack were taken and buried by their kinsmen before the arrival of the soldiers,” added the official. “Many people are still missing and their whereabouts unknown.”
Boko Haram and other extremist groups have waged a 15-year insurgency in northeastern Nigeria that has killed more than 40,000 people.
Central and northwestern Nigeria have been plagued for years by gangs of criminals known as “bandits” who raid villages, kill and abduct residents, and burn homes after looting them.
By working alongside these gangs, militant groups have increasingly established a presence in central Niger state, officials and analysts say.
