The Eid el-Kabir celebration – also called Eid el Ad-ha, meaning the Festival of Sacrifice – was a sad and frightening experience for many people living in Monguno town, as suspected members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) slit the throats of two brothers at around midnight on Sunday, July 10, returning later to steal valuables from residents, including sallah meats, mobile phones and money.

The mood in town was somber and mournful – instead joyous and festive. Most of the inhabitants were too sad and heavy-hearted to enjoy the celebration.

A resident of Monguno, which is in the local government area of the same name in Borno State, who asked to remain anonymous for security reasons, told RNI that the insurgents sneaked into the town at midnight on Sunday and slaughtered the brothers.

“Based on information we received, the insurgents were already inside the town on Saturday, July 9, the start of Eid-Kabir. Although others said the insurgents came to the town at midnight when they began conducting house-to-house searches. When they came across the two brothers, they slit their throats, just as they would slaughter an animal. One of the brothers, Modu Ganamaye or Sanjo, as he was known, was a high-placed individual and a close friend of Kyari Ibrahim Fugu, the chairman of the Monguno local council.

“On Sunday evening, the insurgents returned to the town and conducted house-to-house searches. They stole sallah meats, mobile phones and money, among other valuables, from residents.

“The surprising thing was that even though there were soldiers on patrol, they did not see the insurgents. That’s why some people believe the insurgents were already hiding inside the town before the attack. Some people even think the insurgents have a click or group within the town, especially among the internally displaced persons,” the source said.

“We did not celebrate the sallah [Eid-Kabir] as we normally would because most of us were frightened by what happened. We were in mourning and just not in the mood to celebrate Eid-Kabir.

“The security situation in the town is very worrisome. How could the insurgents find their way into the town, slaughter two people – slitting their necks as if they were animals – and freely leave the town? It has left us feeling frightened and insecure. We live in a state of uneasiness. Attacks could occur at any time. Fear is our constant companion. People can’t even go to the forest or remote villages because they know that if the insurgents catch you, they will kill or flog you. This is how we are living in this town. The fear never leaves us.”

In recent months, Monguno town has been attacked by suspected ISWAP insurgents three times. They killed two members of the Civilian Joint Task Force.

“And it doesn’t seem to bother them that we have security operatives in the town,” the source said.

 SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNO