Maiduguri – Jihadists killed at least 17 civilians from a key military town in northeast Nigeria when locals went into the countryside to collect firewood, residents and a politician told AFP Thursday.
Gwoza has been home to a heavy military presence since the army recaptured the town in 2015, after Boko Haram jihadists seized swathes of Nigerian territory.
Though the 17-year conflict has calmed since its peak a decade ago, analysts have warned of an uptick in attacks, including from Boko Haram’s rival Islamic State West Africa Province splinter group, since last year.
Gwoza, in Borno state, is itself still under threat from jihadists holed up in the mountains surrounding the town.
“Myself and my two sisters went into the bush early in the morning to collect firewood and clear our farmlands,” Rakiya Ahmadu, 48, told AFP. “We were ambushed.”
Gwoza lies near the border with Cameroon and its hilly terrain provides sanctuary for jihadists, who periodically raid bases and towns in the area.
While Boko Haram occupied the town, the militants named it as the headquarters of their self-proclaimed caliphate.
Abba Kawu Shehu Timta, chairman of the Gwoza local government area, confirmed the toll of 17 in a phone call.
Bala Hamid, a local anti-jihadist vigilante member, told AFP that 20 bodies had been recovered.
“This is the time farmers prepare for the farming season,” ahead of seasonal rains, he said.
“Unfortunately, these attackers used the opportunity to ambush Gwoza residents.”
Isa Bukar, another resident, said two of his brothers and his wife’s younger sister were killed.
“What I know is that I only heard gunshots when we were going to the bush to clear our farmlands and collect firewood,” the 54-year-old told AFP.
“Later, I found myself in the hospital, where my leg was treated.”
The attacks come as the Nigerian military has, for its part, reported multiple successful operations in recent days.
The army said it destroyed 30 boats and 30 jihadist fighters in air strikes overnight Tuesday into Wednesday around Lake Chad.
Elsewhere in Borno, it said it had “successfully repelled coordinated terrorist attacks at Kanama, Ngoshe, and Banki” on Tuesday.
Follow African Insider on Facebook, X and Instagram
Picture: Pexels
For more African news, visit Africaninsider.com
Source: AFP
