Suspected Boko Haram fighters abducts more than 300 residents in Borno State...

Suspected fighters of Boko Haram have reportedly abducted more than 300 residents during a midnight attack on Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

The attack, which occurred in the early hours of Wednesday, forced thousands of residents to flee their homes to nearby Pulka community, where many displaced people have reportedly been sleeping on roads and in school buildings out of fear of further assaults.

The insurgents initially targeted a military post in Ngoshe before turning their attack on residents at about 1 a.m.

During the raid, an unspecified number of civilians were killed while several women were abducted.

It was gathered that the attack lasted for several hours, causing widespread panic and destruction across the community.

CBI News reports that the attackers were also reported to have burnt several houses before retreating.

In response, the air component of Operation Hadin Kai was deployed to repel the insurgents.

Security sources told The PUNCH surveillance aircraft tracked the fleeing militants and launched precision airstrikes along their escape routes, killing more than 50 fighters.

The counterattack followed an earlier assault on the Ngoshe military base, which sources said resulted in the death of nine soldiers.

The spokesperson for the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Daso, confirmed the attack and said several residents were still unaccounted for.

“Some civilians whose number is yet to be ascertained were affected or killed during the attack. Several others are still missing and may have been abducted and taken towards the Mandara Mountains,” Daso said.

He added that authorities were still working to determine the actual number of people abducted.

“As of now, we have not completed the process of establishing the total number of those taken away. If reports about the Chief Imam being missing are confirmed, we will verify and update you accordingly,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Senator representing Borno South Senatorial District, Ali Ndume, condemned the attack, revealing that more than 100 residents were still missing.

Ndume said the insurgents overran the military formation in Ngoshe before unleashing violence on the community.

“The military base in the community (Ngoshe) was dislodged, with some major equipment destroyed. Residential houses and property worth millions of naira were also set ablaze,” he said.

He added that the military later responded, neutralising several fleeing insurgents.

“As it is, details about the unfortunate Ngoshe incident are still sketchy, but information at my disposal revealed that many of the fleeing terrorists were neutralised by the air component of the Joint Task Force North-East, Operation Hadin Kai,” Ndume said.

The lawmaker also disclosed that some prominent members of the community were among those killed during the attack.

“Unfortunately, the Chief Imam of Ngoshe and some elders, as well as soldiers, were among those slaughtered or killed,” he said.

He further revealed that thousands of residents had been displaced.

“More than 100 people are still missing or abducted during the attack, while thousands of civilians, mostly women and children, have been displaced and are currently taking refuge in Pulka community,” he added.

Survivors who escaped the attack described the incident as devastating and appealed for urgent humanitarian assistance.

The District Secretary of Ngoshe, Shuaibu Dabawa, said the abduction was massive, claiming that more than 300 residents were taken away by the insurgents.

“When they attacked, we heard sporadic gunshots and immediately fled into the bush for safety, where we spent the entire night,” he said.

“More than 300 people were abducted by the terrorists during the attack. There is currently no military presence in Ngoshe, which has heightened security concerns.”

Dabawa also expressed concern about elderly residents who were left behind in the community.

“Our immediate worry is that some elderly people remain trapped in the community alongside several dead bodies. Many of us escaped with nothing except the clothes we were wearing. The town has been completely deserted,” he said.

He added that displaced residents were scattered across Pulka, with many sleeping in open spaces while others had taken shelter at the Central Primary School in the town.

“We are appealing for urgent military reinforcement and food assistance for the affected families,” he said.

Another survivor, Audu Bello, said it was difficult to immediately determine the number of abducted persons without confirmation from affected families.

“It was a mass abduction. Only families whose relatives were taken can give a clearer picture of the number of victims,” he said.

“For many of us, we managed to escape after hearing sporadic gunshots. It was an unfortunate incident that has devastated many families. Several households have now been split apart.”

A displaced resident, Amina Halidu, lamented the poor living conditions faced by survivors currently sheltering in Pulka.

“Many people are now camped at Central Primary School in Pulka. There is no water, no food and no proper shelter. Most of the displaced persons are women and children. We are appealing for urgent government intervention,” she said.

Responding to the situation, the Commissioner for Information and Internal Security in Borno State, Usman Tar, said the state government had already provided emergency support for the victims.

“There is a standing protocol by the state government for providing support to people that are affected by conflicts,” Tar said.

“In the case of Ngoshe, the people were assembled at Pulka, a nearby town to the area, and immediate support came from the local government.”

He added that the state government had dispatched relief materials through the state emergency management agency.

“The items include rice, sugar, millet and blankets. It will get to them tomorrow (today),” he said.

Tar also noted that health and sanitation officials had been sent to the area to prevent disease outbreaks.

“Currently, the people are comfortable and the military is on top of the situation and making sure that there is a security corridor for the transportation of the items to the victims.

“We have also dispatched healthcare and sanitation officials to the location to make sure there is no outbreak of a pandemic,” he said.

On the number of missing persons, Tar stated that verification was still ongoing.

“We are in the process of verification, the actual figure is yet to be ascertained,” he added.