The attackers, thought to be from the Boko Haram militant group, on Thursday shot dead seven people in Gashigar village, a fishing community in Borno state, close to the Nigerian border with neighbouring Niger, the locals said.
Three others drowned in the river while fleeing from the night raid, they added.
The attack came four days after a similar one on two other neighbouring villages — Yawuma-ango and Jabulam — in which gunmen shot dead five people, a former deputy local government council chairman in the district, Talba Gashigar, said.
He said most residents of Gashigar village had fled to Niger after the marauders arrived in a convoy of three vehicles and “countless motorcycles” and destroyed dozens of homes and shops.
“We all had to flee. Men, women and children had to cross over to neighbouring Niger for our dear lives,” he added.
They spent about two hours operating in the town. About eight cars were also burnt. Unfortunately, our town has no security operatives to protect us. Right from Damasak the local government headquarters of Mobbar, through Gashigar and up to Malumfatori town of Abadam local government; there is no single government security personnel guarding or protecting about six villages in between. You should know that from Damasak to Gashigar is about 50km of dusty Sharan desert road and half way before you get to Dusi, there is a feeder road that lead to Damasak near Diffa border town of Niger Republic.
“We are in a state of fear and confusion now, we cannot sleep in the villages here on the Nigerian side. Once dusk begins to set in, everyone locks up and cross the borders to Diffa. Most of us board our canoes and cross over the river boundary and pass the night in Diffa.The attack on us has been very frequent lately, just last week Sunday they attacked the villages of Yawuma-ango and Jabulam at night and killed five persons there; three at Yawuma-ango and two in Jabulam.”
Mr. Gashigar who was in Maiduguri along with some other residents of the attacked village, wanted government to step in and assist the local youth vigilantes who were are currently the main security force manning the area.
“We know the reason for these attack is because our young men had joined the Civilian-JTF and the Boko Haram is not happy about it. Perhaps, that is why they are attacking us in this manner,” he said.
Police authorities in Maiduguri, the state capital, confirmed the Gashigar village attack but gave no details.
State police spokesman, Gideon Jibrin, denied a charge by Gashigar that security men were not present in the area.
A total of 19 people were killed in a car bomb attack on a busy market in Maiduguri last Tuesday blamed on Boko Haram militants, the police said.
Witnesses reported that another five people were killed in a separate attack on Tuba village also allegedly carried out by Boko Haram gunmen, just hours after the market explosion. Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
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