Islamist militants carried out deadly attacks on two villages in Borno state, leaving at least 25 people dead and several others wounded, according to locals and security sources, Reuters reported.
The region is the epicentre of Boko Haram insurgency.
According to a police source and two local residents cited by Reuters, the militants targeted two villages in the Kukawa district of Borno state, which shares a border with Chad. In one village, 18 herders who were grazing their livestock fell victim to the brutal assault. In another village, seven other innocent people lost their lives.
– How attack unfolded
One of the herders, Habibu Ardo, recounted the horrifying attack, stating that “ISWAP fighters (riding) on more than 15 motorcycles attacked our people while grazing in Kukawa and beheaded 18 of them without firing a single bullet on them in order to avoid the attention of security forces.”.
Bakura Mustapha, a local vigilante who helped lay the deceased to rest, disclosed that 18 bodies were recovered from the bush and were buried according to Islamic rites.
The Borno police command has yet to confirm the incident.
– Epicentre
Borno state has been at the epicentre of Islamist insurgency in Nigeria since 2009, which has also spilled over into neighbouring Chad and Cameroon.
Boko Haram initiated the conflict, later joined by its offshoot ISWAP, a regional affiliate of the Islamic State.
The United Nations has grimly estimated that by the end of 2020, the ongoing conflict had claimed the lives of approximately 350,000 people and left millions in dire need of humanitarian assistance.
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