At least five internally displaced persons, who had gone to the forest outside Damboa to collect firewood, were killed by Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’way Wa’l-Jihād (JAS) insurgents,

The chairman of Unity Camp in the Damboa Local Government Area, who asked to remain anonymous, told RNI reporter Fanna Usman that the Civilian Joint Task Force had found the five bodies. He did not know if the five had been killed on February 19 or the next day when the bodies were discovered.

“We think there were more people who were attacked and killed but we have not found them yet,” he said.

The five victims – known only as Ajigin, Mulgwai, Azir, Gwalumri and Gumsuri – left Damboa on the morning of February 19 to go to the forest which is quite far from Damboa town.

A member of Civilian Joint Task Force in Damboa, who asked to remain anonymous, said JAS insurgents, also known as Boko Haram, had warned residents not to go into the forest.

“Many people told me they had been warned by the insurgents in the past few days,” he said.

Relatives of the victims said they were distraught to hear about the killings.

“If we had known about the warnings, we would not have allowed them to go to the forest,” They said.

The task force member said the community was praying to the almighty Allah to grant the mourning bereaved the strength to bear the loss of their relatives.

He said the government needed to double its efforts to bring an end to the insurgency.

The chairman of Unity Camp in the Damboa Local Government Area, who asked to remain anonymous, told RNI reporter Fanna Usman that the Civilian Joint Task Force had found the five bodies. He did not know if the five had been killed on February 19 or the next day when the bodies were discovered.

“We think there were more people who were attacked and killed but we have not found them yet,” he said.

The five victims – known only as Ajigin, Mulgwai, Azir, Gwalumri and Gumsuri – left Damboa on the morning of February 19 to go to the forest which is quite far from Damboa town.

A member of Civilian Joint Task Force in Damboa, who asked to remain anonymous, said JAS insurgents, also known as Boko Haram, had warned residents not to go into the forest.

“Many people told me they had been warned by the insurgents in the past few days,” he said.

Relatives of the victims said they were distraught to hear about the killings.

“If we had known about the warnings, we would not have allowed them to go to the forest,” They said.

The task force member said the community was praying to the almighty Allah to grant the mourning bereaved the strength to bear the loss of their relatives.

He said the government needed to double its efforts to bring an end to the insurgency.