Fleeing Boko Haram insurgents set village ablaze in Yobe state

Boko Haram

Fleeing Boko Haram suspects in a convoy of Toyota Hilux vehicles and motorcycles attacked Sasawa village in Damaturu Local Government Council of Yobe State, setting ablaze several houses and shops on Sunday night.

Sasawa is a farming community, 48 kilometres north of Damaturu, the state capital.

Military sources in Damaturu said yesterday that the insurgents invaded the village through the southern exit of Sambisa Forest, which was captured last December.


“Even though we cannot ascertain the level of casualties, but most of the houses and shops in the village were burnt down by the fleeing insurgents, while some of the villagers escaped into nearby bush,” said the military source in Damaturu.

 He said that troops of Operation Lafiya Dole have been deployed to the village in the early hours of yesterday.

The casualty figure remains imprecise, but security analysts are worried about the attack due to the proximity of Sasawa village to Damaturu.

Also, six armed Boko Haram terrorists on motorcycles were sighted fleeing through Lumamari village in Yunusari Council Area of the state, though without attacking any persons or destroying any property.

It was gathered that fleeing the terrorists towards north part the state, were also carrying AK-47 rifles without hurting any villager.

“The fleeing insurgents passed through the village without harming anyone while most of the villagers fled into the bush,” said one of the villagers.

Lumamari is about 25 kilometres from Kanama, the council headquarters of Yunusari.

“Our council area is one of the high-risk areas in the state and is still experiencing frequent insurgent attacks, before the insurgents fled through this village,” said Buba Musa, a farmer.