Residents flee from their homes in Banzir village in Chibok as insurgents – thought to be members of the Islamic State West Africa Province – set fire to 30 houses, seven shops and a church.

Three people have been killed in separate attacks by insurgents on two villages in the Chibok district of Borno State in Nigeria’s northeast.

The Borno State Police Command confirmed the attack on Banzir village in the Chibok Local Government Area in the early hours of Sunday, January 12.

Two brothers were killed. A man and woman were rushed to hospital with gunshot wounds.

At least 30 houses, the Ekklesiyar Yanu’wa a Nigeria Church, and seven shops were set alight.

Assistant Superintendent of Police, Kenneth Nahum Daso, said the insurgents – thought to be members of Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) – stormed the Banzir community at about 2.10am on Sunday.

The injured victims were taken to the General Hospital in Chibok for medical treatment. The bodies were transferred for autopsy and burial.

“We have directed all human and logistics assets to be deployed to the axis [Chibok] to build confidence among people,” Daso said. “The command has deployed surveillance and an armed squad to restore peace in the area.

“Military fob [forward operating base] was alerted for an aggressive clearance operation. Normalcy has been restored. Combined security teams are on intensive patrol.”

Bulus Bamaita, the chairperson of the internally displaced persons’ group in Chibok, said: “The Insurgents stormed the Banzir community on Sunday, killed two, burnt many houses and carted away food stored by residents. A man and a woman were shot.

The insurgents also tried to infiltrate the Njilam village on the same day but the attack was repelled by troops.”

In separate attack, a man was burnt to death when suspected ISWAP attackers set fire to houses in the Shikarkir community in Chibok on Monday, January 13.

Bamaita said: “The incident happened on Monday evening. Insurgents stormed the community and set houses ablaze. The victim died in the fire in his house.

“His corpse was not found immediately. Troops conducted a search after they had repelled the insurgents. It was then that they found the burnt corpse.”

Bamaita said many villagers were displaced in the attacks; they had fled from their hometowns and had relocated to Chibok town which is considered “relatively safe”.

AYSHA MUSTAPHA KOLOMI