Boko Haram burns down 60 houses in Adamawa villages

Fleeing members of the Boko Haram sect have destroyed over 60 houses in three villages in Adamawa State, a local hunter told our correspondent on the telephone on Sunday.

He gave the names of the three villages as Sabon Gari, Kafin Hausa and Dutse Biyu in Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State.

He explained that the insurgents, who were fleeing from soldiers from their enclaves in Borno State, ransacked the villages, took away foodstuffs and other valuables and destroyed over 60 houses.

Madagali Local Government Area shares boundaries with Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State, which was one of the strongholds of the Boko Haram insurgents.

The local hunter, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the insurgents might have been attracted to Madagali area because of its mountainous landscape which could shield them from the aerial and land attacks by the troops.

Another source in the area, Ibrahim Abu, said as soon as the villagers sighted the fleeing insurgents trooping into their villages on Saturday, they took to their heels for safety.

“They left everything at the mercy of the insurgents who went on rampage, burning down many houses in these villages without any challenge from any quarter,” he said.

Speaking on the incident to journalists, the Acting Brigade Commander of the 23rd Armored Brigade of the Nigerian Army Yola, Col. A.B.A. Popoola, in a telephone interview said though Madagali was under the control of another commanding officer in charge of 28 Task Force Battalion, Mubi, he was told by the commander that three villages were attacked and houses destroyed by the insurgents.

Popoola maintained that based on the report from the commander in charge of 28, Task Force Battalion, Mubi, no life was lost in the attack.

He said soldiers were now at the villages for assessment and provision of security for the people of the area.

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Army on Sunday appealed to Nigerians to team up with the military in its efforts to end the Boko Haram insurgency.

Making the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Maiduguri, Maj. Gen. Yushau Abubakar, the Theatre Commander, Operation “Lafiya Dole,” said one of the key roles the people could play was volunteering vital information.

Abubakar explained that the anti-terrorism war could not succeed through military operations alone.

“I want to inform all that this operation should not be seen as purely military; it should be seen as an inclusive peace operation, where everybody has a role to play.

“This battle can best be won at the quickest time with the cooperation of all stakeholders.

“We need information; we need cooperation; we need synergy, we need support; support in the sense that we have lots of Internally Displaced Persons, who I believe, good Nigerians, good organisations, either domestically or internationally, can always come to assist.

“While this is being done, the military is faced with the task of degrading, destroying and arresting the terrorists,” he said.

The commander said that wealthy individuals and corporate organisations should also assist by providing logistics to the military to aid its operations.