Residents of Rann in the Kala-Balge Local Government Area of Borno State are still deeply shocked after more than 45 farmers, hunters and gatherers, who had gone to the small village of Mudu nearby, were killed in a brutal attack on Sunday, May 22.
The attackers used guns and machetes. A number of the victims were beheaded and their bodies dismembered in the gruesome attack.
It was not clear whether the insurgents were members of the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) or the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’way Wa’l-Jihād (JAS), better known as Boko Haram.
Abdulrahman Mohammad, a resident of Rann, the headquarters of Kala-Balge, told RNI that the insurgents stormed Mudu village on the outskirts of the town, attacking hunters, farmers on their land and gatherers looking for firewood and scrap metal. He said the attack had terrified residents who did not know when the next attack would happen.
Baba Ali Grema, a politician, told RNI that the vicious attack had left everyone in the region shocked and horrified, adding that the federal and local state governments urgently needed to address the insecurity, which was still rife in the area.
“What happened in Rann is very shocking. The attack has left the local government extremely concerned and disturbed. We pray for our brothers, sisters and relatives who were killed by Boko Haram while on their way to fetch firewood or to their farmlands on the outskirts of Rann. May Allah forgive their shortcomings and grant them jannatul firdous [paradise].
“This is not the first time Rann is been attacked by ISWAP or Boko Haram terrorists. The town has been attacked more times than you can count,” he said. “Since Sunday, security operatives have not done anything to make the area safer. We expected that they would have put in stringent measures in an effort to stop these attacks. All they have done is to provide some security tips for the residents of Rann, which included telling the residents they should avoid going in to the forest, or to their farms and other remote places on their own, advising them to inform security operatives before doing so. They told residents that they needed their full cooperation by adhering to the rules and regulations to ensure public safety,” Grema said.
“Insecurity in Kala-Balge is worsening. It is imperative for authorities to take action to bring it under control. We have sons and daughters who have joined the vigilante groups of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) and local hunters who are ready to sacrifice their lives to protect their home town, but the government does not allow them to operate. They are now working in other areas of Borno State and some are even working in parts of Yobe State.
“The government should redeploy the vigilantes to Kala-Balge. They are from the area and they know all the nooks-and-crannies of the terrain here. Security operatives are doing what they can in the fight against Boko Haram, but the presence of vigilantes would be of great help to them by patrolling and clearing the bushes. Before they were stopped, the vigilantes – with clearance from the military – used to escort groups to remote areas, which offered some protection,” he said.
“The government and everyone knows that the people in Kala-Balge are poor and they do whatever they can to survive. Their situation is critical. They do not have adequate food, water, medication and other social services. There are few business activities. Now, they cannot even farm because they are putting their lives at risk if they do.”
Grema said the government should support the residents by providing social services and empowering them by establishing irrigation farming centres, which would at least mean they would have something to eat once they had harvested their crops.
Malam Isa Gusau, Borno State governor Babagana Zulum’s spokesman, told journalists on Wednesday that Zulum was very disturbed by the unfortunate killing of fellow citizens at the weekend.
The Center for Civilians in Conflict (CIVIC) condemned “in the strongest possible terms the killing of at least 50 civilians by a non-state armed group in Rann”.
“Civilians are being targeted over and over again in northeast Nigeria. They continue to be slaughtered with impunity while farming and seeking livelihoods,” said Benson Olugbuo, CIVIC’s country director in Nigeria. “We utterly condemn this attack and urge all parties to the conflict, state and non-state armed actors alike, to refrain from targeting and harming civilians.
“Initial news reports indicate that as many as 50 civilians were killed. Many victims had their hands tied behind their backs before being executed, according to eyewitnesses cited by local media.
“This attack is only one among many attacks that continue to threaten the lives and livelihoods of civilians in northeast Nigeria. Nearly 13 years after the start of the armed insurgency, women, men and children are still living in fear, fleeing from one location to another and wondering when and where the next attack will be,” said Olugbuo.
SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNO
