Four Dead, Several Injured in Boko Haram Attack on Adamawa Community

Residents of Wagga Mongoro in Adamawa State, northeastern Nigeria, have been thrown into panic after Boko Haram attacked and killed four people, injured many others, and razed property.

Listen to this story

Audio is unavailable for this story.
Prefer HumAngle on Google
0
Armed ViolenceDisplacement & MigrationNews
The local church at Wagga Mongoro was set ablaze by the terrorists. Photo: Cyrus Ezra

Boko Haram insurgents raided Wagga Mongoro, a rural community in Madagali Local Government Area (LGA), Adamawa State, in northeastern Nigeria, on Tuesday night, Sept. 23. They killed four residents, injured several others, and destroyed property, including a church, homes, and vehicles.

Cyrus Ezra, a resident, told HumAngle that several residents began fleeing when the terrorists invaded the community at about 11:40 p.m. “They killed David Mbicho, his son Daniel, Jude Jacob, and Omega Duda. They burnt churches, motorcycles, houses, and a car,” he said, adding that the local vigilante group tried to repel the attack but was outnumbered and outgunned.

“The group was heavily armed, and there was no official security presence, so our vigilante group had to abandon the fight,” he explained. “So far, we don’t know the total number of injured persons apart from the deceased.”

Cyrus said security operatives arrived only the following morning, Sept. 24, after fleeing residents had begun returning to assess the damage.

Burned-out van on a dirt road, surrounded by debris and a tree in the foreground.
One of the vehicles that was burnt during the overnight at Wagga Mongoro. Photo: Ezra Cyrus

Residents told HumAngle that security operatives deployed to Madagali LGA are usually stationed in the town centre or in Nimankara, leaving villages like Wagga Mongoro vulnerable.

This was not the first time the community had been targeted. Barely two months ago, in July, terrorists raided the community, burning houses and forcing residents to flee to Madagali town and other neighbouring communities. They returned weeks after calm was restored. Now, after the latest assault, residents are fleeing once again.

Burned motorcycle on sandy street, group of people in colorful clothing gathered near buildings in the background.
The terrorist burnt motorcycles and other valuables in Wagga Mongoro. Photo: Cyrus Ezra

“Right now, people have packed their bags and are leaving for Yola, the Adamawa State capital, and other places to go and stay with their loved ones. Nobody wants to stay behind to witness this kind of incident again,” Cyrus said.

According to the UN’s International Organisation for Migration, Boko Haram has displaced over 200,000 persons in Adamawa State so far, most of them from Michika and Madagali LGAs.

“We are scared,” Cyrus said. “Our greatest need right now is security. Some of us don’t want to leave our homes.”

Support Our Journalism

There are millions of ordinary people affected by conflict in Africa whose stories are missing in the mainstream media. HumAngle is determined to tell those challenging and under-reported stories, hoping that the people impacted by these conflicts will find the safety and security they deserve.

To ensure that we continue to provide public service coverage, we have a small favour to ask you. We want you to be part of our journalistic endeavour by contributing a token to us.

Your donation will further promote a robust, free, and independent media.

Donate Here

Comments

0 comments

No comments yet.

Sign in to join the discussion.

Prefer HumAngle on Google
0

Of course, we want our exclusive stories to reach as many people as possible and would appreciate it if you republish them. We only ask that you properly attribute to HumAngle, generally including the author's name, a link to the publication and a line of acknowledgement.