Yobe Boko Haram Attack: Death toll rises to 78

The death toll of the massacre carried out by suspected to be Boko Haram gunmen in Gujba community of Yobe state have risen to 78.  The Boko Haram gunmen, said to be wearing military camouflage with black bandanas round their heads, opened fire on the students of the College of Agriculture, Gujba, at 3a.m on Sunday.

as they slept in their hostels. They later moved to other houses, where they killed residents at will. They also blocked the Damaturu-Maiduguri road and killed travellers.

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At the end of the attack, 78 persons lay dead, while several others were still missing. According to members of the community, soldiers arrived the scene two hours after the gunmen had left. An official of Damaturu Specialist Hospital, who requested anonymity, said “immediately after the attack, 40 bodies were brought to the morgue and all are believed to have been students of the College of Agriculture in Gujba.”

The number, however, increased as more bodies were recovered from the bush. Military spokesman, Lazarus Eli told newsmen that security forces were at the scene, but that details on the number of dead and injured were not yet available. He added that the early morning assault was targeted at the College of Agriculture in Gujba, Yobe State. “It was carried out by Boko Haram terrorists, who went into the school and opened fire on students while they were sleeping,” he added.

There are fears the death toll could rise further. A police source, who requested anonymity, said that initial reports indicated the death toll could be higher, but he was not prepared to discuss figures. Provost of the College, Molima Idi Mato, said: “They attacked our students while they were sleeping in their hostels. They opened fire at them.”

He said he could not give an exact death toll as security forces were still recovering bodies of students mostly aged between 18 and 22.

”The school’s surviving students have fled,” he added.

One of the surviving students, Idris, who would not give his first name, said: “They started gathering students into groups outside, then they opened fire and killed one group and then moved onto the next group and killed them.

“It was so terrible. They came with guns around 1a.m. and went directly to the male hostel and opened fire on them”

Ahmed Gujunba, a taxi driver who lives by the college said: “The college is in the bush, so the other students were running around helplessly as guns went off and some of them were shot down.”

Gujba is about 30 kilometres (18 miles) from Damaturu, the state capital.

Yobe has seen a series of brutal attacks targeting students in recent months, all blamed on Boko Haram.

By afternoon after the attack, scores of travellers were also killed, by suspected members of Boko Haram in YobeState. The militants were said to have blocked Damaturu-Maiduguri Road, shooting indiscriminately. An eyewitness, who was on his way to Maiduguri, told the media that at least 20 persons were killed. The witness said: “The situation is terrible. They blocked our way, and were spraying people with bullets.

“Some of us managed to run into the bush. At least, 20 persons were shot dead in the three buses before us.”

NGF seeks end to attacks

Meanwhile, the Northern States Governors’ Forum, yesterday, urged security agencies to “take urgent steps to halt the senseless killing of defenceless citizens.”

Speaking through its chairman, Governor Babangida Aliyu of Niger State, the forum in a statement by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Danladi Ndayebo, also called for an end to “attacks on places of worship and educational facilities.”

It said: “The forum is particularly alarmed that the shooting to death of 38 students of the College of Agriculture, Gujba, YobeState, followed the same pattern as the killing of 22 students and a teacher at Government Secondary School, Mamudo, in the same state last July.”

It called on security agencies to intensify efforts at protecting the lives and property of citizens, and also ensure that those behind the violence in the region, were apprehended and brought to justice.

Culled from Vanguard