Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have abducted over 300 residents during a deadly midnight attack on Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State on Wednesday. The assault forced thousands of survivors to flee to neighbouring Pulka community, where many are currently sleeping on roads and in school buildings out of fear of further attacks.
Earlier reports indicated that the insurgents killed an unspecified number of civilians and abducted several women after first attacking a military post in the area.
Sources said the terrorists stormed the military base in Ngoshe before turning their weapons on residents at about 1 a.m., unleashing hours of violence that left widespread panic and destruction.
Eyewitnesses said the attack lasted for several hours until the air component of Operation Hadin Kai intervened, forcing the attackers to retreat into nearby forests. The insurgents were also reported to have burnt several houses during the raid.
Meanwhile, reports on Thursday revealed that Nigerian troops killed scores of the insurgents following the attack on the Ngoshe military base, which allegedly claimed the lives of nine soldiers.
Surveillance aircraft later tracked the fleeing fighters along known escape routes and carried out precision airstrikes on their positions, reportedly killing more than 50 of them.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Daso, said many residents of the community were still missing.
“Some civilians whose number is yet to be ascertained were affected or killed during the attack. Several others are still missing and may have been abducted and taken towards the Mandara Mountains,” he said.
Daso added that authorities were still working to determine the full extent of the abductions.
“As of now, we have not completed the process of establishing the total number of those taken away. If reports about the Chief Imam being missing are confirmed, we will verify and update you accordingly,” he said.
As of the time of filing this report, efforts to obtain an update from the spokesperson of the police and the spokesperson of Operation Hadin Kai, Lt. Col. Sani Uba, were unsuccessful as calls placed to his phone were not answered.
Meanwhile, the Senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume, condemned the attack during an interview with journalists on Thursday, revealing that more than 100 residents were still missing.
According to the senator, the insurgents overran the military formation in Ngoshe before unleashing violence on the community.
“The military base in the community (Ngoshe) was dislodged, with some major equipment destroyed. Residential houses and property worth millions of naira were also set ablaze,” Ndume said.
“As it is, details about the unfortunate Ngoshe incident are still sketchy, but information at my disposal revealed that many of the fleeing terrorists were neutralised by the air component of the Joint Task Force North-East, Operation Hadin Kai.”
He added that the attack also claimed the lives of several prominent members of the community.
“Unfortunately, the Chief Imam of Ngoshe and some elders, as well as soldiers, were among those slaughtered or killed,” the lawmaker said.
Ndume further disclosed that many residents remained unaccounted for following the raid.
“More than 100 people are still missing or abducted during the attack, while thousands of civilians, mostly women and children, have been displaced and are currently taking refuge in Pulka community,” he added.
Some survivors who fled the violence and are currently sheltering in Gwoza described the attack as devastating and appealed for urgent humanitarian assistance.
The District Secretary of Ngoshe, Shuaibu Dabawa, said the scale of the abduction was massive, claiming that more than 300 residents were taken away by the insurgents.
“When they attacked, we heard sporadic gunshots and immediately fled into the bush for safety, where we spent the entire night,” Dabawa said.
“More than 300 people were abducted by the terrorists during the attack. There is currently no military presence in Ngoshe, which has heightened security concerns,” he added.
Dabawa also expressed deep concern about the fate of elderly residents left behind in the town.
“Our immediate worry is that some elderly people remain trapped in the community alongside several dead bodies. Many of us escaped with nothing except the clothes we were wearing. The town has been completely deserted,” he said.
He added that displaced residents were now scattered across Pulka, with many sleeping in open spaces while others have taken shelter at the Central Primary School in the town.
“We are appealing for urgent military reinforcement and food assistance for the affected families,” he said.
One of the survivors, Audu Bello, said it was difficult to immediately determine the exact number of those abducted without proper verification from affected families.
“It was a mass abduction. Only families whose relatives were taken can give a clearer picture of the number of victims,” Bello said.
“For many of us, we managed to escape after hearing sporadic gunshots. It was an unfortunate incident that has devastated many families. Several households have now been split apart, with some members in Pulka while others are scattered in unknown locations seeking safety,” he added.
Another survivor, Amina Halidu, lamented the harsh living conditions confronting displaced residents who fled to Pulka following the attack.
According to her, many of the victims are currently sheltering at the Central Primary School in Pulka under extremely difficult conditions.
“Many people are now camped at Central Primary School in Pulka. There is no water, no food and no proper shelter. Most of the displaced persons are women and children. We are appealing for urgent government intervention,” she said.
When contacted for comments, the Director-General of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency, Ali Abdullahi, neither answered calls nor responded to text messages as of the time this report was filed.
The Borno State Commissioner of Information and Internal Security, Usman Tar, told journalists on Thursday night that the state had intervened and provided support for the survivors.
He said, “There is a standing protocol by the state government for providing support to people that are affected by conflicts.
“In the case of Ngoshe, the people were assembled at Pulka, a nearby town to the area, and immediate support came from the local government.”
Tar added, “In addition, the state government, through the state emergency management agency, has dispatched palliatives to all the victims and each household. The items include rice, sugar, millet and blankets. It will get to them tomorrow (today).
“Currently, the people are comfortable and the military is on top of the situation and making sure that there is a security corridor for the transportation of the items to the victims.
“We have also dispatched healthcare and sanitation officials to the location to make sure there is no outbreak of a pandemic.”
On the number of missing persons, the commissioner added, “We are in the process of verification, the actual figure is yet to be ascertained.”
Meanwhile, our correspondent learnt that the Chief of Army Staff, Lt-Gen Waidi Shuabi, will visit the Ngoshe community on Friday.
Security sources, who confirmed the visit to newsmen, said the COAS would interface with the victims and access the situation.
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