Fresh killings in Borno, Kano as Jos buries blast victims

Posted by admin Boko Haram, Borno, Kano, Latest Politics, Plateau Monday, March 5th, 2012

VIOLENCE continued to reign in some states of the north at the weekend as members of the Boko Haram sect killed five people, including a 10-year-old child.

The sad incident persisted as three of the four victims of the February 26 bombing at the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN) Headquarters in Jos were buried at Mista Ali Burial Ground acquired by the church for that purpose. .

Meanwhile, the Boko Haram sect was said to have sacked more than 5,000 traders from the Maiduguri Monday Market (MAMM), following the serial killings and bombings in Borno and other states in the North.

Barely 24 hours after the explosion at a bomb factory that killed three Boko Haram suspects in Kaleri Ward of Maiduguri, Borno State, suspected sect members shot four people dead, including a woman and her 10-year-old child in the neighbouring ward of Zannari by 8.00 p.m. on Saturday. Two of the killed persons were an unidentified shop owner and a tailor at the Gambouru Market, which was set ablaze by suspected Boko Haram members last month. .

Audu Idrissa, an eyewitness and resident of Abaganaram ward, said: “The gunmen came on a tricycle and attacked the shop owner at about 8.00 p.m. They used a knife in slitting his throat, instead of the guns they used in killing the other man in cold blood. These kinds of attacks and killings in Maiduguri have now become a daily affair, where there is no security of our lives and property despite the presence of the Joint Task Force (JTF) members and the imposition of a state of emergency in Maiduguri metropolis and Jere Local Council.”

Confirming the killings, the spokesman of Borno State Police

Command, Samuel Tizhe, said his office heard of Saturday night’s

attacks and killings in two wards of Abaganaram and Zannari, but the police area commanders were yet to officially send their reports to the Police Command Headquarters for investigations.

He said that for details on the casualties of the multiple attacks on

residents, the JTF spokesman should be contacted. He added that no arrests had been made. But Lt.-Col. Hassan Mohammed of the JTF told The Guardian that “we are not aware of these attacks and killings in Abaganaram and Zannari wards of Maiduguri.”

An eyewitness and resident of Zannari, however said “the

man and his wife, along with the 10-year-old child were shot dead at their Zannari residence at 8.30 p.m., by suspected gunmen who later fled into an unknown direction of the ward.”

In Kano metropolis, unidentified gunmen on motorcycles, believed to be members of Boko Haram killed a soldier on guard at the resident of Lt.-Gen. Mohammed Isa in the Hotoro area of the town. .

Victims of the Jos bombing who were buried at the weekend were Hajara Saidu, born on May 3, 1989, a member of ECWA Goodnews Church, Damaturu and Nenbam Grace Wambuda, born on March 17, 1978 as well as Little Favour (born on June 25, 2011 in Mangu Local Council). Another victim, Joseph Adams Ashaba, was born on December 20, 1967 into a Christian family of seven and was the seventh in the family. .

At the funeral service yesterday were the state government represented by both the Deputy Governor, Ambassador Ignatius Longjang, Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prof. Shedrach Best and Plateau State House of Assembly Committee on Information Chairman, Diket Plang as well as former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Joshua Dogonyaro (rtd) and others. They all described the deceased as martyrs and wished their souls rest in peace.

Speaking on the socio-economic effect of the Boko Haram sect’s menace, the Managing Director of Maiduguri Monday Market (MAMM), Alhaji Aja Terab, said the 5,000 traders were sacked in August and September last year as many residents fled to the southern parts of the country. .

According to him, the fleeing of traders from the market has caused huge loss of revenue to the people and state government

-Guardianwp_posts