Chief imam, 16 others killed by B’Haram in Borno villages

The Caretaker Chairman of Magumeri Local Government Area of Borno state, Alhaji Abubakar Abdulkadir, says a Chief Imam and four others were slaughtered by suspected Boko Haram members in the State.

Abdulkadir who made this known to newsmen on Monday said, “The Chief Imam of Kurmiri Village and four other persons were slaughtered by suspected members of Boko Haram sect last night (Sunday).”

This was just as the insurgents unleashed terror on another village in the state, killing 12.

The Chairman of the State Emergency Management Agency, Ahmed Satomi, who confirmed the second attack said in a message to newsmen, “We regret to announce that 12 people lost their lives while 28 other persons were injured in the Monday morning suicide attack on Mashimari village of Konduga town.”

The late Chief Imam, Ustaz Goni Bukar Tabare, was the elder brother of a popular politician in Magumeri, Mallam Goni Kundube.

Magumeri has witnessed a series of deadly attacks in the recent past, including the ambush, killing and abduction of oil exploration workers of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, contracted members of staff of the University of Maiduguri and 15 members of the Civilian Joint Task Force in Bornoyesu village in July this year.

Spokesman of the State Police Command, Victor Isuku, who also confirmed the killing of a village chief Imam and suicide attacks on a Borno village in a statement on Monday, said, “Yesterday 17/9/2017, at about 22.30hrs, some suspects, reasonably believed to be Boko Haram terrorists, attacked Kurumari village in the Magumeri Local Government Area. Four persons, including the Imam of the village, were reportedly killed during the attack.

“Today 18/9/2017, at about 10.50hrs, two males and a female suicide bomber, carried out coordinated suicide bomb attacks at different locations in Mashemari village in the Konduga Local Government Area.

“The first explosion occurred during sporadic shooting in a farm.  In the ensuing stampede, the first bomber detonated the explosive while the other two bombers detonated theirs close to the house of the village Head (Bulama).

“Thirteen persons, including the three suicide bombers, died in the three explosions, while 16 persons sustained varying degrees injuries and were evacuated to the General Hospital, Konduga.”