More Than 30 Feared Dead in Twin Attacks on Borno Communities
By Luka Binniyat
(Kaduna) — Tragedy struck once more in Nigeria’s insurgency-plagued North-East as suspected Boko Haram militants launched two deadly assaults in Borno State on Monday, April 28, various sources confirmed to TruthNigeria in Kaduna Tuesday.
Not less than 33 have been killed in the two attacks leaving dozens more injured in separate incidents in Chibok and Kala-Balge counties, Sahara Reporters reported.
The Online news media reports that the first attack occurred around 6:00 p.m. local time in Kopl village, Chibok (County) Local Government Area, where residents had gathered to observe final funeral rites for a deceased community member.
Eyewitnesses reported that heavily armed insurgents stormed the area and opened fire indiscriminately, killing at least seven mourners on the spot and injuring several others, Francis Buba, a youth leader in Chibok confirmed to TruthNigeria Nigeria via phone
Also confirming the incident, Chibok Local Government Chairman, Hon. Modu Mustaph, said the actual casualty figure could rise, noting that many wounded victims had been rushed to Mubi General Hospital in neighboring Adamawa State.
“We are still counting the losses as local volunteers continue search and rescue operations. A mass burial for the victims is being planned for Tuesday,” Mustaph disclosed.
Only hours earlier, also on April 28, another deadly event unfolded in Kala-Balge LGA, when vehicles travelling from Rann to Gamboru Ngala hit Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) planted by terrorists along the Furunduma area, about 11 kilometres from Rann. At least 26 people, including women and children, were killed in the explosion, reported Business Day.
According to Business Day, sources confirmed that the deceased included 16 men, four women, and six children. Several others, including three women and an unspecified number of children, were critically injured and taken to nearby medical facilities in Gamboru, Ngala, and Rann for treatment.
The paper cited a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), speaking anonymously, that the scale of the devastation was immense.
“More than 20 people died instantly. The force of the explosion was unlike anything we’ve seen in recent months,” the source said.
The recent bloodshed underscores the persistent threat Boko Haram poses to civilian lives, despite repeated claims by government forces that the group has been significantly degraded.
However, in recent times, the Governor of Borno state has conceded that Boko Haram has recaptured some parts of Borno state and warned that if urgent measures were not taken, the situation could get worse.
Reacting to the latest violence, Senator Mohammed Ali Ndume, who represents Borno South in the National Assembly, condemned the attacks and called on the federal government to act swiftly.
Briefing the media on the situation in Abuja, Tuesday (April 29) Ndume said:
“The situation is beyond human imagination. I received a distress call just yesterday about another incident where over ten vigilante members were killed between Hawul and Garkida in Adamawa,” Ndume stated.
“In the last month alone, over a hundred people have been killed in coordinated attacks across communities like Sabon Gari, Izge, Kirawa, Pulka, Damboa, Chibok, and Askira Uba.”
The twin assaults have left residents of affected communities in panic, with many fleeing to nearby towns and internally displaced persons (IDP) camps for safety, according to TruthNigeria sources.
The attacks are a grim reminder of the North-East’s fragile security situation, as communities continue to suffer in the crosshairs of an unrelenting insurgency.
Luka Binniyat is a conflict reporter based in Kaduna and writes for TruthNigeria.
