Boko Haram kills four teachers, two pupils in Borno

Posted by admin Boko Haram, Borno, Headlines, State News Wednesday, June 19th, 2013

Six people were killed yesterday in Maiduguri, the beleaguered capital of Borno State, which is the epicentre of Boko Haram’s activities.

The killings occured, despite the state of emergency, imposed on the state. Yobe and Adamawa states are also under state of emergency.

Some gunmen, who are believed to be members of the sect, stormed Innovative Secondary School, a private outfit in Customs area of Maiduguri, the state capital, killing four teachers and two students.

Another set of suspected terrorists laid ambush to a garden farm on the Maiduguri- Mafa- Dikwa road and killed two farmers. One of the dead was the owner of the Mango and Guava gardens.

It was gathered that as the gunmen entered the school premises at about noon, they met a female teacher who had gone to invigilate the ongoing NECO exams. She reportedly pleaded with them to spare her life which they did but not after taking her bag and the question papers. They then ordered her to leave the school premises.

The gunmen subsequently approached the teachers, who were sitting under a tree and opened fire, killing them on the spot.

It was also gathered that, another set of terrorists ambushed a village on Maiduguri-Mafa-Dikwa road where they killed two farmers and a gardener.

A source said: “The spate of killings of innocent people is becoming a source of concern to people; it is unfortunate that pupils, teachers and poor farmers have now become targets of terrorists.”

A top security source, who is not authorised to speak to the media, said: “Some of the terrorists who fled from their camps in Sambisa have regrouped, launching attacks in Maiduguri and other areas, particularly the recent attack on schools in Yobe and Borno. I am sure that the security agencies are aware and we will take decisive measures to ensure that there is no hiding place for the terrorists in the state.”

It was difficult to reach the spokesman of the Joint Task Force Spokesman, Lt. Col. Sagir Musa and police spokesman Gideon Jubrin – apparently due to the cutting off of telecommunication facilities.

The military yesterday extended its ban on telecom facilities use to Thuraya satellite phones as a step to stop the Islamist militants from communicating.

Authorities had earlier cut the mobile network in states under the emergency rule to disrupt Boko Haram’s operations.

Lt.-Col. Musa said the ban was imposed after evidence emerged that Boko Haram used satellite phones to co-ordinate attacks on civilians, including in two school attacks in the past week.

Suspected Islamist militants fired on a school in Maiduguri on Tuesday, killing nine students. The attack followed one in Damaturu, Yobe State, which is also under emergency rule, that killed seven pupils and two teachers.

“Effective from 19th June 2013, the JTF imposes a ban on the use and sales of Thuraya phones and accesories,” Musa said in a statement handed out to journalists.

“Anyone seen with Thuraya phones, recharge cards and accessories will be arrested,” the military spokesman said.

The move will make it even more difficult for journalists to report from the conflict zone, something press freedom groups say Nigeria’s military has been trying to do anyway.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) yesterday said eight of the suspected terrorists who perpetrated the Borno mayhem had been apprehended on the outskirts of Maiduguri.

In a statement, Brig.-Gen. Chris Olukolade, the Director of Defence Information, said the Special Forces have stepped up the mop-up, cordon and search operations “to ensure that the vestiges of terrorism are effectively decimated.

“The DHQ has noted a number of attacks and killing of innocent citizens ostensibly carried out by terrorists in Yobe and Borno in the last couple of days.

“Although this isolated incidents were undertaken by relocating terrorists, the whole trend and development remains unfortunate and condemnable.

“Nevertheless, the public is hereby reassured that these incidents are by no means indicative of a relapse in the counter-insurgency operation aimed at curbing terrorists’ activities in the country.”
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