By Maina Maina
Members of the Boko Haram sect attacked Oil Rich, Gajiganna in Monguno local government area of Borno State on Thursday, killing no fewer than 30 residents.
Some of the residents, who escaped from the troubled town, also told DAILY POST that the terrorists destroyed almost all the houses in the area.
Gajigana is a border town between Niger and Nigeria, where drilling was ongoing as a result of discovery of oil in Borno State. The work has since been abandoned as a result of the Boko Haram attacks in the area.
According to Kalli Abdullahi, a resident of Gajiganna, the insurgents, who attacked them, were of the Manga tribe from Tchad Republic, who he said now governed most parts of the northern Borno.
“They preside over meetings in most of the villages, execute judgement for the people and police most of the communities. Just before they attacked Gajigana, they have been coming around to judge the people. In fact, about one week to the attack, there was problem between one of our friends and a Fulani man who put his cows in the farm; we had to report the matter to them (Boko Haram); they came and gave the Fulani man one day for him to pay compensation; he agreed and paid amount equivalent to five bags of beans”, he disclosed.
He said the villagers learnt that some people went and informed the security operatives in Maiduguri that some residents were joining Boko Haram owing to government’s neglect, adding that the military stormed the place and made some arrest.
“In a form of reprisal, members of the Boko Haram now attacked Gajiganna, because they believed that those that reported them to soldiers were from the area. They took some people and killed them. When we thought that it was over, they suddenly decided to start burning houses”, he further disclosed.
Abdullahi also told newsmen that from Abadam local government to Kukawa, Marte, Ngala, Dikwa, Mobbar, Nganzai, Magumeri, Marte, Kala-Balge, and Monguo in the northern Borno, there was no security presence, adding that all the villages surrounding the northern Borno was now under the protection of the Boko Haram sect.
“Whatever you are doing, they watch you; they monitor every movement”, he said.
Attempt to get confirmation from both the police and military in Borno did not yield result, but a soldier who pleaded anonymity confirmed the attack.
He disclosed that most of the Boko Haram fighters around northern Borno were not Nigerian citizens but a particularly group of Tchadians, who were unleashing terror on villagers.
