Gunmen went on rampage and massacred 40 persons in Katsina and Borno States.
In Katsina, 25 Muslims, including women and children, were at a gathering of Maulud celebrants in Kusa, a community in Musawa LGA of Katsina State were killed.
This was revealed by the locals, but the police in the state only said seven victims were shot on the spot, while 18 injured were evacuated to the hospital in Musawa.
Seventeen persons who were wounded in the attack had been admitted at the Katsina General Teaching Hospital for bullet extraction and others admitted at the Musawa General Hospital for treatment of injuries.
According to the father of a victim, Malam Salisu, they heard gunshots around 10:30 pm while their children were attending Maulud celebrations, during which his nine-year-old son and 22 were killed and 16 others injured, including
“We brought the 16 injured victims to the hospital, but two died along the way, making the number of dead 25,” he said.
Salisu said before the security forces could arrive at the scene, the gunmen had fled.
A victim, who escaped with a gunshot injury in his arm and a machete cut in his knee, narrated from his bed at the Federal Teaching Hospital in Katsina, that they were surrounded and shot at them. “When people began to run for their lives, they shot and killed some, while they used knives to slaughter others.
“They shot my arm and used a machete to inflict this injury on my knee while they were saying this should be a sign for us as our people were lying dead,” he said.
Meanwhile, the state Governor Dikko Umar Radda has visited the attacked communities to commiserate with the victims and their families.
He said his administration would tackle banditry and other criminalities in the state.
Also, Abdullahi Aliyu Ahmed (Katsina , APC) the member said the situation was pathetic.
“These are people who don’t even have basic social amenities, yet they are not allowed to live their lives in peace. It is really pathetic, and we will definitely come to their rescue by providing these social amenities as well as ensuring their security,” he said.
The state police spokesperson, ASP Abubakar Sadiq Aliyu, said the bandits attacked, shot seven on the spot, and injured 18 other people who were evacuated to the hospital in Musawa.
“They were evacuated to the hospital for treatment. Later on, two of them died. Further investigation is ongoing to bring the perpetrators of these acts to justice,” he said.
In Borno State, 15 rice farmers were killed in the Zabarmari community. The victims were killed following a clash between suspected Boko Haram and ISWAP terrorists.
Zabarmari is a farming community located about 25 kilometres from Maiduguri town, where the massacre of 110 rice farmers took place on November 28, 2020.
It was learnt that the rice farmers were abducted by suspected Boko Haram terrorists on Saturday to collect ransom from their families.
A local narrated “However, some ISWAP terrorists arrived at the place and asked the Boko Haram insurgents to release the poor farmers.
“An argument ensued between them, which led to a clash that started at 4:30pm and raged up to 11:00pm. Unfortunately, the Boko Haram terrorists vented their anger on the poor farmers and slaughtered them.
“So far, we have recovered 11 corpses from the bush; three that sustained deep cuts were taken to the specialist hospital in critical condition,” he said.
The Head of Zabarmari community, Bulama Dan Hassan, confirmed the incident, saying they recovered 11 bodies from the bush and buried them according to Islamic rites.
“We recovered 10 people from the rice fields where the incident happened and later found another, making 11. We are still searching for some missing farmers,” he said.
Also, the chairman of the Zabarmari Rice Farmers Association confirmed the incident, saying that 10 of his slain members killed by the insurgents were buried.
“Three others who survived the attack with injuries were taken to the hospital in Maiduguri in critical condition,” he said.
Our correspondent, who visited the hospital, saw one of the victims rushed into the emergency operation room by a team of doctors.
His relative, Muhammad Salisu, said they found him with over nine cuts on his face, neck and chest.
“I believe they all were convinced he’s dead, that’s why they left him soaked in blood. And we found him on the field the following morning,” he said.
The Borno State Police spokesperson, ASP Nahum Daso Kenneth, said the command was still gathering information on the attack.
