Boko Haram kills over 60 in NE Nigeria attack

LAGOS, Nigeria

Boko Haram terrorists killed at least 63 people in an overnight attack on a resettled community in northeastern Nigeria, officials said Saturday.

The assault took place Friday night in Darul Jamal, a village in the Bama area of Borno state, where residents had recently been moved from a camp for internally displaced persons, according to local media reports.

Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, who visited the scene Saturday, said he was traumatized by the killings.

“We are here to commiserate with the people of Darajamal over what happened last night that has claimed the lives of many people. It is very sad. This community was settled a few months ago and they went about their normal activities, but unfortunately, they experienced a Boko Haram attack last night. Our visit is to commiserate with them and build their resilience,” he told journalists.

“At this moment we have confirmed that 63 people lost their lives, both civilians and military, although the civilian casualties are more. Close to about 60 civilians and 5 soldiers lost their lives,” Zulum said.

He added: “We have to take note that the numerical strength of the military is not enough to cover everywhere, so far so good, two sets of Forest Guards have been trained, therefore one of the solutions that we need to implement immediately is to deploy the trained Forest Guards to most of the locations that are vulnerable, they will protect the forest and communities.”

Boko Haram, a terror group based in northeastern Nigeria and also active in Chad, Niger, and Cameroon, is notorious for attacks on civilians, security forces, and schools, including mass shootings, bombings, and kidnappings.

The insurgency has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions since 2009. Despite gains by the Nigerian military, including the capture of strongholds and the killing of commanders, large parts of Borno remain vulnerable to renewed attacks.