Sam Kaye
Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have killed about 40 people at Gurokayeya village of Gaidam council area of Yobe State.
Out of this figure about 20 were slaughtered directly by suspected insurgents on Monday, while 20 others lost their lives due to improvised explosive devices (IED) planted on their trail when they came to attend the funeral of their kins on Tuesday.
Police spokesman Abdulkadir Dingus told this reporter that the first 20 residents were killed by the insurgents in reprisal attacks for refusal to pay their harvest tax to the insurgents.
“The insurgents stormed the village between 5 and 6pm, called out the residents, gathered them at the village square and opened fire on them abruptly. Over 17 people died on the spot on Monday, while others were wounded and rushed to the hospital.
“The other set of 20 residents who lost their lives were among those who drove from Gaidam and neighbouring communities to the affected village for the burial of the the first batch of 20, on Tuesday.
“When returning home, their vehicle drove over an explosive device planted by the insurgents on their trail; 10 of them died on the spot while another 10 died at the Primary Health Center (PHC) where they were rushed to after the accident in Gaidam due to massive bleeding.” Said the source.
Spokesman, of the Police command in Yobe Dungus Abdulkarim, who confirmed the two incidents to newsmen today said that the combined network of security operatives were already at the sight trying to get to the bottom of the matter.”
The insurgents had stormed Gurokayaye village at about 11pm on Monday, and opened fire on residents resulting in the killing of the Village Head and about 20 others.
“Two of those who sustained severe injuries are now receiving treatment at the Gaidam PHC and two others are now at the Yobe State University Teaching Hospital, Damaturu,” he further explained.
“At about 7:30pm on Tuesday, October 31, the people, who had converged on the village for the burial of those killed, drove over a landmine, and 20 people died as a result,” the Yobe Police spokesman revealed.
He described the community as a stronghold of Boko Haram insurgents, disclosing that troops have even demarcated the area as ‘No-go area’ due to the background to the incidents, remarking that theses attacks were reprisal attacks by the suspected insurgents.
“You know, this is harvest time, and the insurgents are used to going round the farming communities, collecting levies adding that “recently they stormed Tarmuwa axis of the State in their tax collection spree to exploit people further.”
Abdulkarim went on: “Following an information revealed by the locals, security agents stormed the locality and engaged the unsuspecting insurgents in a serious gunfire exchange, as a result of which two of the gunmen were killed and four were arrested, as many escaped with wounds.
“So, in reprisal, the insurgents descended on Gurokayaye village of Gaidam LGA where they killed the people with impunity.”
Ends
