Fear Of Boko Haram Attack: Residents Flee As Boko Haram Sets Ablaze Over 140 Houses, Loots Property

Suspected Members of Dreaded Boko Haram sect invaded, Egiri, Zira I and II villages of Biu Local Government Area in Southern Borno Senatorial District and set ablaze over 140 residential houses, carted away foodstuff and livestock, after displacing hundreds of people from the three settlements.

Zira is just 5km away from Gur village which was attacked last Friday leaving four persons dead and setting ablaze residential houses and vehicles.

Zira and Gur hitherto a peaceful community located North West, is near Buratai, the home base of the immediate past Chief of Army Staff, General Yusuf Tukur Buratai, but due to poor telecommunication services, delayed information about the latest attacks.

According to resident of Zira I who fled and now taking refuge in Biu town, Ali Yusuf, said, prior to the attack which happened Last Sunday at about 7pm, luckily almost all residents had fled out of the town, and when the insurgents who came through Garin Mallam Village first attacked Egiri before proceeding to Zira I and II, as they wreck havoc without confrontation.

Yusuf however said no life was lost as the insurgents met the all affected villages deserted, but notwithstanding, the attackers set ablaze about 20 houses in Egiri, 50 houses in Zira I and 75 others in Zira II.

His words; “We are really terrified with the latest attacks by insurgents in our hitherto peaceful communities.

” Since the former Chief of Army Staff, General Yusuf Tukur Buratai bows out of service, most surrounding villages of Buratai have been experiencing series of Boko Haram attacks without confrontation by security operatives.

“Just last Friday, armed insurgents invaded our neighbouring community of Gur and killed for persons with destruction of properties. And two days after, another group of insurgents invaded our own villages of Egiri, Zira I & II  and set ablaze over 90% of residential buildings.

” As it is, some of us took liver and went back to our affected communities on Monday, although, no life was lost as the insurgents met the all affected villages deserted, but notwithstanding, the attackers set ablaze about 20 houses in Egiri, 50 houses in Zira I and 75 others in Zira II.

” We were lucky to have gotten information about the impeding attacks, so we quickly mobilized our family members including women and children and fled before the insurgents stormed these communities.” He narrated.

He however appealed to the Government and other security agencies to come to their aid, as most of them are displaced with no means of livelihood.

All efforts to get confirmation from the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Edet Okon proved abortive at press time, but a reliable security Source in Biu Local Government Area confirmed the recent destructions by insurgents in the three communities.-National mail Online