Gwoza Residents Protest Massacre By Boko Haram
OFrom Hamza Idris, Maiduguri
ver 2000 indigenes of Gwoza residing in Maiduguri yesterday took to the streets protesting what they called ‘endless massacre’ of their people in Gwoza town and neighbouring villages by suspected Boko Haram members.
Gwoza is 132 kilometers southeast of Maiduguri and shares border with Cameroon. Hundreds of people in the area, including First Class emir late Alhaji Mustapha Idrissa Timta, have been killed in attacks by gunmen, while dozens of communities have been sacked.
The protesters carried dozens of placards with messages such as, “We are relocating to Cameroon,” “Government where are you?” “Committing Genocide in the name of Boko Haram” and “Are we not Nigerians,” among others.
The residents, who
earlier gathered at the Polo Ground in Maiduguri, marched to the state Government House to register their grievances over the fresh attacks.
A 26-year-old resident of Gwoza town in Borno State, who was simply identified as Bello, was yesterday hit by a bullet fired by a police constable when security operatives to stop he protesters from reaching the Government House.
Borno State Police Commissioner, Lawan Tanko, who arrived the scene minutes after the incident, promised to investigate the shooting. “We have identified the policeman and he will face orderly room trial.
If he is found wanting, he would be prosecuted because the police will not condone any act of lawlessness,” he said.
In the latest onslaught since Tuesday, the new emir of Gwoza, Alhaji Muhammadu Idrissa Timta, who is the son of the late emir, also went missing.
The Chief Imam of the town, the district head of Wakale and seven of his children were among the over 200 people that are said to have been killed so far, witnesses said.
Sources said Nigerian troops were yet to get access to Gwoza even as the insurgents hoisted their flags in the town.
Over 3000 residents reportedly took to hiding in caves on top of the Mandara Mountain, surviving on wild fruits with many falling sick.
Our correspondent learnt that dozens of decomposing bodies are on the streets and the foot of the Mandara Mountain in Gwoza, apparently because no one was there to bury them.
Also, while addressing the protesters Governor Kashim Shettima said he shared their pains and prayed God to grant the soul of those that lost their lives eternal rest.
“I want to assure you that I would personally go to Abuja and discuss with relevant authorities on how to deploy more troops to address the situation confronting us,” he said.
Meanwhile, residents who survived the attacks told Sunday Trust that the insurgents were slaughtering people rams. “Our people are being butchered like rams and it seems the attackers are out to annihilate us. A massacre is going on. They have reduced the emir’s palace to shreds, burnt the local government secretariat, police divisional headquarters, government lodge and symbols of authority,” Hauwa Isma’il, a mother of four said,
Adamu Usman, a civil servant at Agency of Mass Literacy in Maiduguri, said two of his wives and 15 children were missing because he was in the office in Maiduguri when the crisis started.
“I did not here from any of them since on Tuesday. My prayer is that they should alive,” he said.