Suspected members of the Islamist group, Boko Haram, have attacked Shafa, Tiraku and Shindiffu communities of Hawul Local Government Areas of Borno State, killing six residents and burning down Churches and some residential homes.
It was a severe attack on Thursday on Shaffa, a farming and commercial community that is 232 kilometres south of Maiduguri, the state’s capital.
Hawul Local Government Area is situated some twenty kilometers away from Biu Local Government Area of the state located on a plateau which has a military barracks in the area.
The caretaker chairman of Hawul Local Government Area (LGA), Dr. Andrew Malgwi, confirmed the incident to Channels Television on Friday.
He said that the hoodlums, who stormed the three communities in the early hours of Thursday, burnt down all churches within those villages.
“Shaffa town, Shindiffu and Tiraku villages of Hawul LGA of Borno State were attacked in the early hours of Thursday and all churches within these communities including major Christians homes were raised down,” the caretaker chairman alleged.
He also revealed that six people were confirmed killed in the three separate attacks which lasted for several hours.
Shaffa residents, however, said 20 people including a pastor and a teacher were killed during the assaults while eight Churches, a Health centre, six staff quarters of Government Girls Secondary School (GGSS) of the area and several other houses were burnt in an operation that lasted for over six hours.
The residents further said: “From beginning of August to date, the insurgents have continued to terrorised the villages of Tashan Alade, Hirzhi, Pela Birni, Debiro, Kwajaffa Bura, Jubwuwhi, Dalwa, Shaffa, Shindiffu among other communities in Hawul Local Government Area
“We have been experiencing this for long but it has become intense for the past two months as the sect has consistently attacked churches and houses mostly belonging to Christians, as the area is yet to have deployment of troops to safeguard our lives”.
The community called on the Federal Government to dislodge the terrorists camp established in their mountainous communities causing havoc on selected communities where Christians remained the main target of the insurgents.