KANO: At least 81 people were killed and several others are missing after an attack by suspected Boko Haram militants in Nigeria’s northeastern Yobe State, local officials said on Tuesday.
The attack, which took place on Sunday afternoon, saw militants storm the village of Mafa, leading to significant casualties and destruction.
According to Abdulkarim Dungus, a police spokesman for Yobe State, approximately 150 militants armed with rifles and rocket-propelled grenades launched the assault on the Mafa ward. They arrived on more than 50 motorcycles and commenced their attack around 4:00 PM local time.
“Around 150 suspected Boko Haram militants armed with rifles and RPGs (rocket-propelled grenades) attacked Mafa ward on more than 50 motorcycles around 1600 hours on Sunday,” Dungus said.
“The militants killed many people and burnt many shops and houses. We are yet to ascertain the actual number of those killed in the attack,” Dungus said. Local official Bulama Jalaluddeen confirmed that at least 81 fatalities have been reported, though the true toll may be higher.
Residents reported that the militants not only attacked the market but also chased villagers into the bush, where they continued to shoot those who tried to escape. Some survivors have reported that the death toll could exceed 100, as many people remain missing and feared dead. “Several corpses are still in the bush,” said Modu Mohammed, a local resident.
The attack in Yobe’s Mafa village is part of a larger pattern of violence that has plagued the region for the past 15 years. The insurgency, largely led by Boko Haram, has resulted in thousands of deaths and displaced more than 2 million people across northeastern Nigeria.
Dungus said that the attack may have been a reprisal for the killing of two suspected Boko Haram fighters by local vigilantes. The militants’ actions included shooting at market-goers, burning buildings, and laying explosives along the route to the village, which the military managed to defuse.
Military sources reported recovering at least 81 bodies from the scene, which have been transported to Babangida General Hospital.
