Over 2,000 people abandon 8 Borno towns after receiving extermination notice from Boko Haram

Over 2,000 people abandon 8 Borno towns after receiving extermination notice from Boko Haram

Almost 2,000 people from eight communities in Kaga Local Government Area of Borno State have fled to Benishek, the LGA headquarters, following a threat of attack from suspected terrorists belonging to Boko Haram.

According to reports, the eight villages’ occupants were given a three-day warning by the insurgents to evacuate or risk complete annihilation.

After the expiry of the three-day ultimatum, the terrorists reportedly raided the villages about a week ago, driving out the residents and causing several deaths.

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The people arrived to Benishek without food because they were forced by the terrorists to abandon their farm produce as they fled.

The insurgents accused the communities of betraying them by failing to report to them about recent troop operations in which several of their combatants were killed.

Speaking from Maiduguri on Monday, a resident of Benishek, Baba Goni, disclosed, “It is over one week now since the insurgents warned the villagers to vacate and while leaving, they should leave all their farm produce behind.”

He identified some of the affected villages as Bololo, Ganga, and Shuwari.

Goni added, “The villagers have since been trooping to Benishek as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) with their families, and on their way to Benishek, they have to be maneuvering through bush paths to avoid coming across the terrorists, who have already killed some of them.”

The Chairman of Sector 6 of the Borno State quasi-military vigilantes, Umar Harka, also confirmed the attack, stating, “About 2,000 have so far fled to Benishek.”

He further disclosed, “Right now, a combined force of troops and members of the CJTF have been deployed to the area to comb the bush and trace the locations of the insurgents.”