25 traders killed in market attack in Northern Nigeria

Not less than 25 persons were reportedly killed in a market in Askira Uba local government area of Borno state, Northern Nigeria when gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram terrorists attacked on Sunday morning, residents and security official said.

The gunmen who invaded the village called Daku, about 30km away from Chibok town, where over 200 schoolgirls were abducted, stormed the town in their usual style.

“It was about 11a.m when they drove in top speed into our market in Daku and they began to shoot at us”, said Naaba Ijaya, a trader who spoke to journalist on phone in Hausa after escaping the attack.

“We had to run when we got to know that they were Boko Haram people; many people may have been killed, and many others were injured, but one cannot tell how many of them”, he said.

Witnesses said the suspected Boko Haram gunmen stormed the village in one Toyota Hilux and several motorcycles.

An officer of the Nigeria Vigilante Group in Maiduguri, Gava Muhammed, said his colleagues in Askira Uba local government, who visited the attacked village after the attackers had left, counted about 25 persons that got killed.

“They actually targeted food and other supplies during the attack; but they also shot at the people sporadically which led to the death of about 25 people and injuring many others”, he said.

The Borno state police command said it could not immediately confirm the attack.

When contacted, the spokesperson of the command, Gideon Jubrin, said, “Honestly we have not yet received any report concerning the attack in Askir-Uba local government, but we will get back to you once we get any of such report tomorrow”.

(Premium Times)