At least fifteen people were killed by members of Boko Haram who stormed a remote village in Borno State, opening fire and burning homes, residents told AFP yesterday.
The attack occured at about 13:00 GMT on Monday in Huyum, in the Askira-Uba district of Borno State, which residents said has been hit repeatedly in recent weeks by the Islamist militants.
“The whole village was burnt by Boko Haram gunmen. We lost around 500 homes,” said Bukar Zira, who fled to the commercial hub of Mubi in neighbouring Adamawa State as the rebels moved in.
Zira said the insurgents surrounded the village and opened fire before moving in, sprinkling petrol on homes, many of which are mud-brick with straw roofs, then setting them alight.
“We have so far lost 15 people and one was injured. People in the whole village moved out to different parts of Borno and Adamawa,” he also stated.
Another resident, Peter Malgwui, said Boko Haram had mounted several raids against neighbouring villages in recent weeks, looting food supplies and homes.
“They completely burnt the whole village. Not a single home was spared,” he added, giving the same death toll as Zira.
One Huyum resident, Ishaya Ayuba, said: “The attackers remained up to 4:00am this morning, until they withdrew.
“There were troops stationed about 20 kilometres away, but they didn’t respond. We have lost everything.”