Boko Haram terrorists killed more than 60 people, including seven soldiers, in a night-time assault on Darul Jamal, a village in northeastern Nigeria’s Borno State that was resettled only last month after years of displacement, residents said.
The attack began around 8:30 p.m. on Friday when militants stormed the community near Banki in the Bama local government area, shooting indiscriminately and setting houses ablaze. Survivors fled alongside soldiers to Bama, about 46 km (29 miles) away.
“We had been warning the military for three days about Boko Haram gathering near our town, but no action was taken,” said resident Babagana Mala. “They overwhelmed the soldiers, who fled with us to Bama.” Mala said 63 people were killed, including seven soldiers and several recent returnees from an internally displaced persons camp.
The village’s traditional head said 70 bodies had been recovered by Saturday morning, with more people still missing in the surrounding bush. “They went house to house, killing men and leaving women behind. Almost every household is affected,” he said.
Governor Babagana Zulum visited the area on Saturday to assess damage and console survivors, according to a security source. Police spokesperson Nahum Kenneth Daso declined to comment, and Reuters could not reach Lieutenant Colonel Sani Uba, spokesperson for the military’s counterinsurgency campaign.
Residents said more than 20 houses and 10 buses were destroyed. Among the dead were seven drivers and six labourers from Bama and Maiduguri who had been working on rebuilding the town.
Nigeria’s military says it has stepped up operations in Borno to contain Boko Haram and Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), but residents and analysts say attacks persist. Violence has also surged in parts of northwest Nigeria.