Boko Haram: 13 killed, over 20,000 flee to Cameroun

Deputy Governor of Borno state, Alhaji Zannah Umar Mustapha has called on Nigerians who fled to Cameroon for fear of being arrested by the military to come back to their homes as government was making necessary arrangement for their safety.

The Deputy Governor, who was at the border towns between Nigeria and Cameroon on Tuesday to plead with those who fled the town to return, assured that, no soldier would come to arrest them in their houses.

DailyPost gathered that, following the breakdown of law and order in Bama and Gwoza local governments as a result of the activities of Boko Haram, the people of Ngoshe and Ashigashiya town of Gwoza local government fled to Cameroon, alleging that 13 of their kinsmen have been killed by security operatives in the state.

A member of the Borno state House of Assembly from the local government, Ahmed Jaha also informed the Deputy Governor on what they were able to do to convince the people to stay behind, but all efforts proved abortive as over 20,000 people have been declared international refugees, who are presently in a camp, at Ashigashiya, Jibrili and Barrawa.

While informing the Deputy Governor on why they flee, Alhaji Abdu Ashigashiya said that it was fear of death that made them run to Cameroon and would not return to Nigeria because they believed that those killed by the soldiers were not Boko Haram but were killed due to dome political reasons.

Also speaking Mallam Sadiqui Ali told the Deputy Governor that on 15th June 2013, some soldiers came into Ngoshe town with a lists of people and arrested three of them who were killed almost immediately without giving them the opportunity of fair hearing.

According to him, in the history of Ngoshe, they have never experienced violence of any kind, not to talk of involving soldiers.

He said, “But we wonder after Col. Hassan came and assured us that no soldier would Kill anybody unlawfully, five days later, precisely on 20th June 2013, we woke up with the sound of gun shots everywhere, which resulted to the killings of 8 persons, including a Principal, Head Master and an Imam of the Friday mosque.”

Also Mallam Suleiman Dalhatu, an Agric extension worker told the Deputy Governor that he ran to Cameroon because he was fingered as one of the Boko Haram sects.

“We would not return as Nigerians until those who have Killed innocent people out of sentiment are brought to book.

The Deputy Governor however, assured the people of both Ashigashiya and Ngoshe to form a vigilante group like the Civilian JTF in Maiduguri to guard their people and arrest any alien found among them.

He urged them to forward the lists of 200 youth from Ashigashiya and 150 youth from Ngoshe who would be considered for allowances by government in order to help in securing their town and to prevent further killings in the areas.


-- Daily Post