TheCable

Gunmen believed to be Boko Haram members on Sunday killed “at least 44 people” in Kwada and Kautikari Villages, some 15km away from Chibok.

A villager who confirmed the tragedy to TheCable on phone said the gunmen launched the attack at about 8:30am, and immediately went after Christian worshippers in the villages.

“It was a massive attack. They killed 35 people in Kwada and at least 9 people in Kautikari,” the source said.

“They were very many. I counted two vehicles and 47 motorcycles that they came with. They were shooting anyone they could find, and they were burning houses and churches. People were killed in a total of four churches.”

He blamed soldiers for the severity of the attack, saying they delayed in confronting the terrorists when they were notified, and they also hesitated to take the battle to the terrorists, instead choosing to shoot from distance.

“The soldiers were complaining. They didn’t want to go close. They did not even respond on time.

“The villagers communicated the attack to the Army on time. In fact, our leaders were in touch with the chief of air staff who promised to send aircrafts to search out the terrorists and attack them.

“But would you believe that despite informing them since morning, the aircrafts did not arrive until after 11am. They left without doing anything. They said they couldn’t locate any terrorist. Do you expect the terrorists to hang around for that long after carrying out a daylight attack?

He also praised the vigilantes in the villages, saying that unlike the soldiers, they fought gallantly and would have done a better job had they not run out of ammo.

“The vigilantes fought very well; and when they ran out of ammunition, they tried to escape.

“Not all of them succeeded, though. Five vigilantes were killed by the terrorists. But they also killed some Boko Haram members as well.

“I cannot say how many terrorists were killed, because they removed the corpses of their slain colleagues and went away with them. But I saw three bodies that they could not take with them.”

Bemoaning the sheer human loss, he said: “We tried to bury the people who were killed, but we could not finish today. Tomorrow, we will continue.”