It was a bloody weekend in Borno State as insurgents attacked a military convoy, killing 15 soldiers and four Joint Task Force members.
Several soldiers were wounded in the attack which took place in Gudumbali, the headquarters of Guzamala Local Government Area in the Lake Chad region.
The insurgents were thought to be members of the the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’way Wa’l-Jihād (JAS), also known as Boko Haram.
Three other towns were attacked at the weekend.
The attacks took place on Saturday in Damboa, Mobbar and Molai on the outskirts of Maiduguri.
At least six people were killed and many wounded, including soldiers, when insurgents, suspected of being members of the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP), raided Damasak in the Mobbar Local Government Area in Borno State.
A source, who asked to remain anonymous, confirmed that three women, two soldiers and a man were killed. But the source said the number of people killed and wounded was probably “much higher”.
The source said the insurgents stormed Damasak on Saturday evening. While some attacked the military base, others set fire to facilities of international aid organisations.
Buildings were set alight in or near the United Nations humanitarian hub, which was gutted. The Norwegian Refugee Council’s facilities at Fulatari Ward were burnt, as were the offices of three other international non-governmental organisations.
A traditional leader’s house was set alight and food items stored in a warehouse belonging to the UN World Food Progamme was looted.
Damasak has been the target of many attacks since the beginning the year, including five armed raids within the past two weeks.
A firewood collector was killed and some others were wounded when insurgents, thought to be JAS members, attacked Sandiya village on Saturday in the Damboa Local Government Area.
Muhammed Goni, who managed to escape the attack, said that selling firewood was his only source of income.
“We need the money to feed our families. This is the second attack by insurgents in two months.”
He did not know how many people had died or had been wounded.
“The attackers hide in the top of trees. Then, when they see us coming, they start firing. Some get hit, some manage to get away. They know where we collect firewood in Sandiya [about 3km from Damboa central],” he said.
“The cost of living has increased so much that it is becoming unbearable. We need to sell firewood, but collecting it means we could end up dead. When we go to collect wood, we know that we could be attacked at any time. Attacks by insurgents are a serious threat. The government should do something to stop them,” Goni said.
On Friday, five people were killed in Kwapre, a village in the Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State. The insurgents also abducted an unspecified number of women.
RNI reporter Umar Bukar Gaji said that as the insurgents entered the village they started shooting randomly and picking up the women.
They destroyed houses and other property and stole the belongings of residents.
A source said there were no people left in Kwapre after the attack. They had all fled. However, many were beginning to return and things were getting back to normal.
“This latest attack on the innocent and peace-loving people of Kwapre is another senseless and cruel act of cowardice on a community that is peaceful, industrious and calm,” the source said.
