Insurgents say the deadly attack was a reprisal strike against villagers whom they accused of providing intelligence to the military that led to the killing of ISWAP members last month.

The bodies of 34 of 130 people killed in an attack on Mafa village on Sunday have been laid to rest in a mass burial in Babban Gida, the headquarters of the Tarmuwa Local Government Area in Yobe State.

Idi Barde Gubana, the deputy governor of Yobe State, led a delegation of high-ranking government officials who attended the funeral ceremony held at 12 noon on Tuesday at the palace of the Emir of Babban Gida.

Guban was representing Yobe State governor Mai Mala Buni, who is out of the country on an official engagement.

He sent condolences to the bereaved families and said he strongly condemned “the heinous act of violence”. He described the horror attack on Mafa village as “tragic”.

The mood was somber and sad as mourners paid their final respects to the deceased. Prayers were offered before the bodies were taken to the cemetery for the mass burial.

The death toll of Sunday’s attack has been increased from 87 to 130.

Witnesses said the attackers stormed Mafa at about 4pm on Sunday, September 1. They arrived in the remote village on more than 50 motorbikes and were “armed with rifles and other deadly weapons, including rocket-propelled grenades”.

The gunmen shot haphazardly, “killing many people”.

They looted shops and set fire to businesses, schools and numerous houses. Many villagers were left homeless.

Residents, most of whom are farmers, had returned from their lands and were about to conclude prayers at the mosque when the gunmen opened fire.

The gunmen were at first thought to be members of the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’way Wa’l-Jihād (JAS), more commonly referred to as Boko Haram.

However, it was reported on Tuesday that Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) had claimed responsibility.

In a letter written in Arabic, ISWAP cited “revenge for alleged grievances” as the motive for the massacre.

They accused villagers of having provided intelligence to the military, leading to the killing of ISWAP members last month.

ISWAP said the attack was a warning. The group criticised villagers for not heeding previous threats.

One resident, who spoke to RNI on the phone, said many of the villagers had fled from Mafa and were taking refuge at a government-run school in Babban Gida, which is about 50km from Damaturu, the capital of Yobe State.

He said the village was “virtually deserted”.

“So many houses were burnt down. Bodies were scattered everywhere. We are lucky to be alive. Many people were killed. Survivors abandoned the village.”

Another Mafa resident, Babagana Mele, confirmed that he was among those taking refuge at the school.

“Almost all the houses in Mafa village were burnt down. We were forced to flee.”

Mele said there were no security operatives on the scene when the attack occurred.

“Lots of villagers fled into the bushes to get away from the gunmen. We were trapped and only managed to get away when security personnel were deployed on Monday.

“It was terrifying. We saw many people being shot. When we fled [on Monday night] there were still a lot of dead bodies lying on the ground. The bodies were lying all through the village.”

Mele said security personnel recovered 34 dead bodies on Monday night. They were taken to the Specialist Hospital in Babban Gida to be prepared for burial.

More were transported in the early hours of Tuesday morning.

RNI correspondent Alhaji Sheriff Brah, who is based in Damaturu, said the corpses, wrapped in cloth shrouds, were transported on trucks by soldiers, vigilantes and members of the community.

Apart from the mass burial in Babban Gida on Tuesday, other mass burials took place in Mafa village and in surrounding communities.

President Bola Tinubu commiserated with the government and the people of Yobe over the loss of lives in the massacre.

In a statement, he extended his condolences to the bereaved families.

Tinubu condemned the killings as an “atrocious and cowardly act of terror”.

He said he was praying for the souls of the deceased and wished the wounded a speedy recovery.

He assured the people of Yobe that the perpetrators would have an “inevitable encounter with justice”.

Senator Ahmad Lawan, the chairman of the Senate committee on defence, urged the people of Tarmuwa to remain calm and vigilant, advising them to report any suspicious activities to the security agencies for prompt response.

He sent condolences to the government of Yobe State and to all the people of the state and called for medical supplies and other relief materials to be dispatched urgently to survivors of the attack.

SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNO