Early on Monday morning, a brutal assault by gunmen in Nzangula village, situated within the Guyaku Ward of Gombi Local Government Area, Adamawa State, resulted in the tragic deaths of twelve individuals.
Mr Markus Ishaya, the Chairman of the Gombi Local Government Area, confirmed these harrowing details in an exclusive interview with PUNCH Online earlier today. According to Mr Ishaya, the coordinated attack took place in Guyaku Ward, with reports from Nzangula village indicating that in addition to the twelve fatalities, two other people sustained injuries and are currently receiving medical attention at the Cottage Hospital in Gombi.
Further details provided by Ishaya revealed the abduction of a woman during the incident. The assailants also set fire to the EYN Church and three residential properties, alongside vandalising two local shops, causing significant damage to the community's infrastructure.
Mr Ishaya recounted the grim situation: “Report from Nzangula village of Guyaku Ward, Gombi LGA, stated that 12 people were killed, two were injured and are presently at Cottage Hospital, Gombi. One lady was abducted. EYN Church was burnt. Three houses were also burnt, and two shops were vandalised.”
This latest act of violence follows closely on the heels of another devastating incident just two weeks prior, where more than ten people lost their lives to terrorist activity in the Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State. In a separate but similarly brutal attack on Monday, eleven individuals were reportedly killed in Zaranga village, also within the Gombi Local Government Area.
A resident of Zaranga village, who chose to remain anonymous for safety reasons, claimed that Boko Haram militants were responsible for invading their community in the early hours of Monday, unleashing a volley of gunfire and setting homes ablaze. “For now, 11 dead bodies have been recovered. Many are still missing. Search teams and security personnel are in the forest searching for the missing people,” the resident stated.
Another villager, profoundly affected by the assault, tragically reported that his wife and two other family members were among the dead bodies recovered from the scene. He tearfully recounted, “My wife and two of my family members were also killed during the early morning invasion of my village.”
As of reporting, official statements regarding the attack from government authorities are still awaited, leaving the affected communities in a state of shock and uncertainty amidst these escalating crime and terror incidents in Northern Nigeria.