Suspected Boko Haram insurgents attack church near Chibok, kill 8
8 or more people have reportedly been killed outside a church in Borno State following an attack on Sunday by unknown gunmen suspected to be members of Boko Haram.
According to local residents, the gunmen were on bicycles and opened fire on the church shortly after the conclusion of morning service in Kwamjilari village, about 30km east of Chibok.
Speaking on the incident, a local from nearby Kautikeri village said, “Some of the worshippers remained around the church and the gunmen opened fire and eight men died.”
“Unknown to the residents, the gunmen had stationed some of their comrades on the road leading out of the village and they shot anyone who tried to flee.
“Many people ran into the bush with gunshot wounds. But so far we can only confirm eight deaths.”
The suspected Boko Haram attackers also set fire to homes and fields of maize that were almost due for harvest, according to a local chief in Kautikeri.
The chief said soldiers were later deployed to Kwamjilari from Chibok — the scene of a notorious kidnapping in 2014 when more than 200 schoolgirls were seized.
The widely reported mass kidnap led to the “Bring Back Our Girls” campaign which put the region in the international spotlight.
A similar incident to the church attack had occurred about a month ago, in which 10 people were reportedly killed and more kidnapped by the attackers.
Both attacks have been linked to Boko Haram insurgents, who have frequently raided villages, churches and mosques across northeast Nigeria and beyond since 2009. Borno, Adamawa and Yobe have been affected most by their activities.
Nigeria’s military meanwhile maintains it has the upper hand against the insurgents in a conflict that has left more than 20,000 people dead and rendered more than 2.6 million people homeless.
