Brief – A vigilante was killed and 16 girls were abducted in the second attack in a week – this time by the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’way Wa’l-Jihād (JAS) – on Pemu village in the Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State on Thursday, January 20.

It was the third attack on Chibok villages this week.

Habu Musa, a resident, told RNI reporter Aisha Jamal that the JAS, better known as Boko Haram, got to the village at about 5.30pm. They were in at least six vehicles and on many motorbikes. They were shooting haphazardly and forced the villagers to run for safety. The insurgents followed some villagers to their homes and abducted 16 girls. They killed a vigilante and burnt down houses, shops and a church, and stole foodstuff.

Troops from Askira and Chibok arrived at about 7pm and battled against the insurgents until 10pm when they were chased away.

Many villagers spent the night in the forest. Some ran to the close-by villages of Balala and Payesu.