Escalating violence: Six fishermen killed, military base attacked and displaced persons flee from camp in Maiduguri as insurgent attacks become more brazen and frequent in Borno State.

“Old, young, men, women and even children – no one is safe anymore,” a distraught father said after losing two of his sons in an insurgent attack in the Dikwa district of Borno State.

Ba’a Tarkache, a resident of Dikwa, said his sons were among six fishermen who were killed by gunmen on Friday, November 15.

“When I said goodbye to them early that morning, I did not realise that I would not see them alive again.”

Tarkache said six corpses had been found and buried according to Islamic rites. Security operatives are still searching for missing fishermen.

“When my sons did not return home on Friday, we were worried. But it was only the next day that we heard about the attack. On Sunday, members of the Civilian Joint Task Force [CJTF] and other security operatives went in search of the fishermen.

“They found six corpses – two of them my sons. Sadly, the death toll is likely to rise because there are still people missing.

“The security situation is deteriorating fast. There have been so many attacks by insurgents recently. We keep losing members of our community. It doesn’t matter what age or if you are male or female. Even children are found dead. It is most alarming.

“If the government and security operatives cannot put an end to the killings, it will affect farming and fishing activities. That’s how most people earn their living. But it is getting too dangerous – the violence is forcing us to abandon our farmlands and we are too frightened to fish,” Tarkache said, adding that it was imperative for the government to beef up security to protect the lives and property of all.

Ya Aisa Bor, a resident of Dikwa, told RNI the fishermen were from the Gajibo community.

“My brother was among the fishermen killed. He went fishing on Friday morning and never came back. His wife and four children are in mourning. The whole community is in shock.

“I’m appealing to the government to provide adequate security to protect innocent people. This is affecting the community because people depend on fishing and farming to make a living.”

– Displaced persons living in Muna camp in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, say constant attacks by insurgents are forcing them to flee.

“It used to be only when we left the camp to farm and fetch firewood on the outskirts of the city that we were attacked. Now, insurgents are raiding the camp at night. They rob, kill and kidnap residents,” said Modu Bor Ashamiye (not his real name).

“People are fleeing from the camp. They are looking for a safe place in Maiduguri or in neighbouring communities in the Mafa and Jere local government areas.

“We are terrified. You expect to see insurgents in the forests and bushes but not in the camp or in the host community. Right now I’m preparing to pack my belongings and leave with my family. I am looking for a place to stay somewhere else in Maiduguri.

“The insurgents come into the camp at night. They are brazen. Sometimes they come into the camp on foot. Other times they arrive in vehicles or on motorbikes. They are heavily armed and they have no scruples. They will kill you without a thought. They rob you of your possessions. They will kidnap you if they think they will get ransom money. It is scary.

“For months now, the Borno State government has been pledging to resettle internally displaced persons [IDPs] in their ancestral hometowns – but we are still waiting. So far there have just been empty promises.”

Ashamiye said the excuse the government kept giving for not resettling IDPs was that the security in the hometowns still needed improvement.

“But we are not safe in Muna camp. That is why so many people are fleeing. It is extremely difficult. Insurgents displaced us before. Now they are displacing us again.”

Hajja Falta (not her real name) said she and her family had been forced to flee from their ancestral hometown because of persistent deadly attacks by insurgents.

“Until quite recently, we felt relatively safe living in Muna camp. Some people who went to the forests or to their farmlands on the outskirts of the city were attacked but not inside the camp. Now insurgents seem to have regrouped. They come into the camp and attack us and the host community.

“Attacks are escalating and now many displaced persons are being displaced again. It is just not safe here anymore.”

– Babagana Umara Zulum, the governor of Borno State, has commiserated with the military over the deaths of five soldiers who were killed in an insurgent attack on an army base in Kareto in the Mobbar Local Government Area on Saturday, November 16.

In a statement released by Usman Tar, the Borno State Commissioner for Information and Internal Security, Zulum described the attack as callous, atrocious and heinous.

“On behalf of the government and the good people of Borno, I convey our heartfelt condolences to the armed forces and families of the deceased over the demise of our fellow compatriots. May Allah rest their souls and grant fortitude to the affected families.”

Kareto is one of more than 20 settlements that is being targeted for resettlement of displaced persons taking shelter in unofficial camps in Maiduguri and other locations.

“We are eternally grateful to our gallant military and security forces for all they have been doing to safeguard lives and property in our state. The Kareto attack is a painful reminder of the heinous desperation of the adversary to torpedo our modest achievements and cause panic in our communities.

“I call on our good people to stand firm, not to waver and to support the armed forces as they work daily to confront our collective threats,” Zulum said.

Zulum reiterated the resolve of the Borno State government to continue to work closely with the armed forces to secure the country.

“Be rest assured that the Borno State government, under my watch, will continue to work closely with the armed forces to execute our development and peacebuilding programmes.”

Military sources, who asked to remain anonymous, claimed that at least 20 soldiers and civilians died in the Kareto attack and not five as the the Nigerian Defence Headquarters said.

They said there was a heavy exchange of fire, including a suicide car bomb explosion.

They claimed insurgents took control of the base and set fire to it. At least 14 vehicles were destroyed in the blaze.

The sources confirmed that the fighters seized four four-wheel drive vehicles and a quantity of weapons, including heavy machine guns, before fleeing from the scene.

A search and rescue mission is continuing for four missing soldiers.

SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNO