Boko Haram attacks firewood traders in Borno

- Boko Haram attacked a group of firewood traders in Jawu village, Borno state

- Seven people are still missing after the attack

- Those traders who managed to escape narrate their experience

On Monday, January 25, Boko Haram terrorists reportedly attacked a group of firewood traders in Jawu village, about 8 kilometres from Auno town, west of Maiduguri.

According to Daily Post, eight people managed to escape, while seven others are still missing after the attack.

Speaking with journalists on Wednesday, January 27, in Maiduguri, relatives of the missing people confirmed that 15 people were involved in the attack and seven of them did not return home. The aggrieved relatives alleged that they might have been killed by the insurgents.

Modu Mai Ali, a relative of one of the victims, recalled that fateful day when the terrorists laid ambush and opened fire on the firewood traders.

“Usually we get our firewood for commercial purposes from the forest for storage at Ndollori, though we live in nearby Sajeri, around Ajilari Cross area. So, on Monday morning, my cousin Abba informed me of his plan to join other members of the firewood traders to Jawu and I wished them luck.”

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“We were at the railway track around 9 o’clock in the morning when they went and I even exchanged banters with some of them. I could count about fifteen of them. At about 3pm, news reached us that the firewood traders were attacked and I rushed home, only to be told that eight among them escaped while, about seven others including my cousin are still missing,” he said.

Baba Furra, a hunter who was one of those that managed to escape, said:

“We use to complement our hunting expeditions with firewood trading because of the challenges of insurgency and at about 1pm on Monday, while we were moving towards Jawu village to get firewood, we saw a vehicle coming towards our direction and thought they were also firewood dealers. Suddenly, they opened fire on us; about fifteen of us, some were pushing wheel-barrows while the rest of us were in the Isuzu vehicle.

“I was in the vehicle; three of us in the front seat, while the rest were at the back when the firing started and while those at the back jumped off, our driver was trying to maneuver the vehicle but we noticed that the vehicle was having mechanical problem so, while the vehicle was moving, though jerking, I saw a narrow path ahead and on reaching close to that point, I pushed the door, rolled before picking race down into the bush.

“While in the vehicle before taking that risk of diving out, I told the driver to stop and abandon the vehicle so that we can escape on foot because, the insurgents were coming after us but, he told me that he will manage to escape with the vehicle which I doubted.”

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Furra revealed that the relatives of his missing colleagues received a call from the insurgents who use the victim’s mobile phone, telling them that they killed all the victims.

Musa Musa, a member a vigilante group, who one of those who transported the victims to the hospital, said that one trader was shot on his buttock and is presently receiving medical care at Umar Shehu Hospital.

“The news that the missing victims have been killed shocked us and right now, we are moving together with hunters and some security personnel towards the forest, first, to confront the insurgents and secondly, to see if we can rescue any victim or recover their bodies, if we confirmed that they are killed,” he said.

A hospital official, who pleaded for anonymity, confirmed the admission of a victim with gunshot wound from Auno.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria army has recorded another success in the war against insurgency.

The militaty said that 14 members of the Boko Haram sect were killed around Chirokusko village in Tarmuwa local government area in Yobe state.

Source: Legit.ng