Borno Killings: Shocked Buhari Demands Extraction Of Heavy Price From Boko Haram

President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday expressed shock over Tuesday’s deadly terror attack on Faduma Kolomdi village of Borno State, asking the Nigerian armed forces to “extract a heavy price from the attackers”.

Residents of the village, which is about 11 kilometres away from Gazaure town of Gubio Local Government Area of the state, told the Borno State Governor, Prof. Babagana Zulum, during a visit to the scene of the attack that the number of those killed had risen from the initial 70 to 81.

In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, the President said he was appalled by the brutal killings of scores of people by the Boko Haram/Islam in West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Gubio village of Borno State.

He described the incident as shocking given that it happened few weeks after the month of Ramadan, and particularly at a time the country is preparing for its Democracy Day, noting that the attack is one of the most brutal terrorist attacks on innocent people from the North-East.

The President urged the nation's armed forces to sustain victories against the insurgents, asking the military to “extract a heavy price from the attackers”.

“As news of one the most brutal terrorist attacks on innocent people emerged from the Northeast, President Muhammadu Buhari said he is deeply shocked by the brutal killing of tens of people by the Boko Haram/Islam in West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Gubio village, Borno State.

“The President, who was expecting a detailed briefing by the Governor, Professor Babagana Zulum on the outcome of his visit to the affected communities, said the “primordial nature of the killings is particularly shocking because it happened not long after the Ramadhan and Eid, and the country is preparing to celebrate the Democracy Day.

“In condemning the incident, President Buhari charged the armed forces to sustain their recent string of successes against the terrorists to extract a heavy price from the attackers, and bring back all those they kidnapped as well as the large number of cattle rustled.

“He also expressed the sincere condolences of the government and people of Nigeria to the bereaved families, communities and the government and people of Borno State,” the statement read.

Meanwhile, a statement by the governor’s spokesman, Mallam Isa Gusau, quoted the villagers as saying that the insurgents abducted a village head along with six others.

“A survivor told Zulum that 81 residents were killed during the attack on Tuesday with 13 persons injured and seven others, including village head was abducted,” the statement added.

One of the villagers had earlier told reporters on the phone that the insurgents operated for about two hours unchallenged with the initial body count put at 70 while 300 cows were also killed in the attack and over 1,000 cows rustled.