June 16, 2014
By Ndahi Marama
Maiduguri — No fewer than 15 people, including traders, were killed, yesterday, when some suspected members of Boko Haram terrorists stormed a local market in Daku village in Askira Uba Local Government Area of Borno State and set ablaze several shops, houses, vehicles and motorcycles.
Askira Uba is about 190 kilometres from Maiduguri, the state capital and shares boundaries with Biu, Chibok, Gwoza and Hawul council areas that have witnessed series of deadly attacks and killings in recent past.
Vanguard gathered from reliable sources that the gunmen, numbering more than 20 and armed with AK-47 rifles, Improvised Explosive Devices, IEDs and petrol bombs invaded the market square on motorcycles and a Hilux Toyota vehicle at 11 am and opened fire on traders, killing 15. The gunmen also carted away food items, unspecified amount of money before fleeing towards the Sambisa forest.
A local petty trader who gave his name as Bulus Gadzama said he had to abandon his wares and run for safety
He said: “I have to give thank to God almighty for sparing my life today. I just finished my church service at about 10:00am. I then proceeded to the market after dropping my Holy Bible at home, and all of a sudden after displaying my wares, we started hearing sounds of gunshots and explosions which forced everybody to scamper for safety.
“It was when the attackers fled before some of us summoned courage to go to the scene of the incident. It was then we realised that over 15 people were killed. Most of the shops in the market were set ablaze after looting food items.”
Also, a Maiduguri resident who hails from Daku and lost one of his friends in the incident, confirmed the attack, explaining that he received a call from the village that one of his close friends, who went shopping for his wife that just gave birth last week, was among those killed.
Contacted for confirmation, the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Gideon Jubrin, could not be reached on phone, but a top Police officer, who was not authorised to talk to the press confirmed the incident, saying many people were killed while no arrest was made.
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