In a brutal attack in northeastern Nigeria, suspected Boko Haram militants stormed a village in Yobe state on motorcycles, opening fire on a bustling market and setting shops and homes ablaze, resulting in at least 37 deaths, according to a military official.
Eyewitnesses fear the death toll could rise, as many villagers are still missing, likely having fled into the surrounding bush to escape the attackers. The assault took place on Sunday afternoon in Mafa village, Yobe state, a region that has been at the epicenter of a 15-year insurgency that has claimed thousands of lives and displaced over 2 million people.
According to Dungus Abdulkarim, a spokesperson for the Yobe police, the attack was likely in retaliation for the recent killing of two suspected Boko Haram members by local vigilantes. The militants not only targeted the market but also pursued residents into the bush, where they continued their deadly assault.
“The terrorists killed many people, but we are yet to ascertain the actual number of casualties,” Abdulkarim stated.
A military official, who accompanied Yobe’s commanding officer to Mafa on Monday evening, disclosed that the route to the village had been rigged with explosives, which the troops successfully defused.
“We recovered 37 corpses and brought them to Babangida General Hospital,” said the official, speaking anonymously as he was not authorized to talk to the media.
Local resident Modu Mohammed reported that several villagers remain unaccounted for, estimating the death toll could exceed 100. He added that some bodies were still lying in the bush, yet to be recovered.
