Boko Haram Kills 26 Persons in Adamawa

• Multiple accidents claim 13 lives

Daji Sani in Yola

At least 26 people were feared killed and several others injured in a suspected Boko Haram’s attack on Monday night at the Madagali area of Adamawa State.

This is coming as multiple accidents along Ngurore-Mayo Belwa highway also claimed 13 lives, while passengers sustained various degrees of injure in Mayo Belwa Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

Suspected Boko Haram’s members riding motorcycles in large numbers were said to have attacked Kudakaya village, in Madagali LGA of Adamawa state, at about 9.00 p.m. on Monday.

An eyewitness disclosed that he saw corpses of 26 people who were killed, while several others were critically injured and taken to hospital.

A former chairman of Madagali LGA, Abawu Maina Ularamu, confirmed that 26 people were killed.

“They burnt several shops and many homes. They also stole food.

‘’ As I am talking to you, we are living in an atmosphere of despair and agony for this attack, over 20 were killed, while many injured and rushed to hospital.

“There is no doubt the attackers came from Sambisa. We experience such periodic attacks from Boko Haram, who usually look for food.

“Already residents are fleeing for fear of uncertainty; they (Boko Haram) are not far away from us; any slight opportunity they may strike again,’’ he said.

Reports from the affected areas also revealed that the insurgents had last week attacked three villages but on their way out, they ran into a group of vigilantes on patrol in Kuda village, who engaged them in a shoot-out, killing two of the attackers.

The state Police spokesman, Othman Abubakar, confirmed the attack, saying that, “Yes, I was briefed that members of the dreaded Boko Haram insurgents have attacked the village, though I am yet to get the casualty figures but security operatives were deployed and are on the top of the situation.’’

Adamawa State was said to have been cleared of Boko Haram in late 2015, after they rampaged across the North-east, seizing towns and territory.

But attacks have continued in the north of the state, particularly around Madagali, which borders Borno State and the militants’ Sambisa forest stronghold.

The insurgency began in 2009 and has since killed at least 20,000 people and made more than 2.6 million others homeless

In another development, multiple accidents claimed 13 lives on Monday along Ngurore- Mayo Belwa highway while 21 others were injured.

The Information Officer of Mayo Belwa, Mr. Kabiru Kelly who confirmed the incident to THISDAY, said the first accident, which happened on Monday night, had claimed six lives, while three others sustained life-threatening injuries.

Kelly noted that the accident involving a Sharon bus, occurred when the driver attempted to avoid a pothole, lost control and rammed into a pole.

He noted that the dead victims have been taken to Yola Specialist Hospital, while the injured victims were receiving treatment at the Mayo-Belwa cottage hospital.

Kelly noted that the second accident was a head-on collision involving a Hummer bus and a Toyota starlet.

He noted that the accident was caused when the driver of the bus tried to overtake a heavy-duty vehicle and rammed into the starlet car.

The second accident almost wiped off a whole family, including a father, his wife and their four children who were on their way from Jalingo to Zamfara.

The dead bodies and the injured person were deposited at Mayo Belwa General Hospital, according to the information officer.