37 killed, Bama Emir’s palace attacked

The spate of killings and destruction by Boko Haram fighters in Borno state have continued for days on end.

The latest attacks occurred Tuesday night in Bama, 75 kilometres south of Maiduguri as well as in Buratai about 214 kilometers to the south west.

Buratai is the home town of Major General Tukur Buratai, the JTF commander in the Niger Delta, where the insurgents killed two people during the attack on his private residence.

In the Bama attack, 37 people were killed while the Emir’s Palace was also attacked, though the Emir escaped unhurt, a source said last night.

Commenting on the Bama violence in an interview with BBC Hausa yesterday, Sen Ahmed Zanna (Borno Central) said the insurgents laid siege on the town for over seven hours.

He said they killed unconfirmed number of people and set many places ablaze.

Zanna said he knows two of the people that were killed adding that the town has been deserted by women and children.

“From what I gathered from someone who managed to escape in his car... the attackers have killed many people and burnt the old Bama, where I was born,” he said.

“I know some of the people killed. I know two of them, but I don’t know others. They set the market and other places on fire. Only few areas remain in the town unaffected now.”

Senator Zanna, while lamenting the inability of the security to respond to the attack, corroborated the stance of Borno state governor that the security forces have no sophisticated weapons to counter such attacks.

“I am surprised at the way the federal government doesn’t want to reveal the truth about the whole matter. What the governor ( Shettima) said was true and I personally investigated and found same.”

Daily Trust correspondents gathered that the insurgents invaded Bama town around 2am and started shooting sporadically into the air.

A bus driver from Bama who fled to Maiduguri said insurgents advanced towards the town from eastern part but were confronted by soldiers.

“There was exchange of fire, including the use of rocket propellers that sounds like bombs. We heard the terrifying sound and most of us and our families could not sleep till day break,” he said.

Daily Trust gathered that the continuous shootings prevented residents from coming out to observe the Morning Prayers.

The driver said he learnt in the morning that when the insurgents were overpowered and could not retreat, they moved towards the palace of the Emir of Bama, apparently to look for cover.

“Part of the palace was torched,” the driver said. “And I can tell you that some people, including the insurgents were killed because I saw two corpses.”

A security source who confirmed the attack to newsmen but did not want to be quoted said the attack was launched in Old Bama are, not the new settlement.

He also denied claims that the palace of the Emir of Bama was also destroyed.

Some people from Bama who ran to Maiduguri through Dikwa told journalists that many families have fled their homes for fear of the unknown.

“Some of us that you see here came through Dikwa in the northern part of Borno because we are afraid of passing through Konduga which is also under siege,” Mukhtar Zakkariya, a trader, said.

Zakkariya said troops have taken over most of the streets of Bama while stop and search operation has been intensified.

As at the time of filing this report, there was no official statement from the military on the Bama and Buratai attacks.

The road leading to Bama which passes through Konduga has been closed by the military while getting access to residents of the troubled town on phone was not possible yesterday.

Bama, a once- thriving town that leads to Cameroon Republic, has witnessed multiple attacks in the last three years, crippling economic activities in the city.

In Buratai, sources said the insurgents stormed the country home of the General around 8pm but were repelled by soldiers guarding the house even though they succeeded in killing a carpenter and a soldier in the house.

Three other people were injured in the house, sources said.

“The insurgents met some resistance when they attempted to attack the house ( of the General) because there was serious shootout with soldiers on guard,” Isma’ila Ahmed, a local said.

“Out of frustration, the terrorists left, mobilised again and then matched through the village around midnight and infiltrated the house of the General Buratai’s father.

“They set the house on fire but did not kill anyone there. They did not also kill any other person in the village. They simply fled after setting the house on fire,” he said.

Daily Trust reports that about one month ago, the insurgents had attacked Buratai and killed a cleric. They also kidnapped some young men in nearby villages and till date, nothing is heard of them.