At least 80 people have been killed in an attack on a village in northern Nigeria. Militants, believed to belong to a Boko Haram splinter group, attacked Faduma Koloram, in the Gubio district of Borno state, on Tuesday afternoon.
According to Reuters, the militants suspected villagers of sharing information about their whereabouts to security forces. They also killed and stole livestock before razing the village.
State governor Babagana Zulum visited the area on Wednesday and later confirmed the death toll had risen to 81.
“This is barbaric. It is very unfortunate. The only solution to end this massacre is by dislodging the insurgents in the shores of Lake Chad. Doing so will require collaborative regional efforts,” Zulum said, according to Premium Times.
A survivor told the governor that the attackers came around 10am on Tuesday morning in gun trucks and armoured tanks.
“They operated for about six hours and left around 4pm,” he said. “They gathered us and said they wanted to deliver a religious sermon to us.
“They asked us to submit whatever arms we had. Some villagers gave up their Dane guns, bow, and arrows. The insurgents pretended as if they were not there for any violence.
“Suddenly, they started shooting at will. Even children and women were not spared, many were shot at close range. Many started running. In the end, many persons were killed and we have been burying people from 10pm last night to about 6am this morning.
“We have buried 49 corpses here while another 32 corpses were taken away by families from the villages around us. The insurgents abducted seven persons, including our village head. They went away with 400 cattle.”
The attack comes a week after an armed assault on a Christian village in north-west Nigeria left at least 10 dead, including a three-year-old girl.
In March, Archbishop Ignatius Kaigama of Abuja asked Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari to address the growing levels of violence against Christians.
“We need to have access to our leaders, president, vice president. We need to work together to eradicate poverty, killings, bad governance and all sorts of challenges facing us as a nation,” the archbishop said.
Picture: An Internally Displaced Persons camp in Borno state, Nigeria (Getty)
Having been unable to sell in churches for well over a year due to the pandemic, we are now inviting readers to support the Herald by investing in our future. We have been a bold and influential voice in the church since 1888, standing up for traditional Catholic culture and values.
Please join us on our 130 year mission by supporting us. We are raising £250,000 to safeguard the Herald as a world-leading voice in Catholic journalism and teaching. For more information from our chairman on contributing to the Herald Patron's Fund, click here
Make a Donation
Donors giving £500 or more will automatically become sponsor patrons of the Herald. This includes two complimentary print/digital gift subscriptions, invitations to Patron events, pilgrimages and dinners, and 6 gift subscriptions sent to priests, seminaries, Catholic schools, religious care homes and prison and university chaplaincies. Click here for more information on becoming a Patron Sponsor. Click here for more information about contributing to the Herald Patron's Fund
