[b] By Jide Ajani, Johnbosco Agbakwuru and Ndahi
Marama

Barely 24 hours after the Federal Government
and Boko Haram brokered a ceasefire deal on
the Islamist group’s terror campaign in the
North-east, an attack, suspected to have been
carried by the sect, yesterday, left eight dead.
The attack took place around the hilly
communities of Dzur in Hawul Local Government
Area of Borno State.

In an earlier development, suspected Boko
Haram insurgents, Friday evening, killed 10
persons in an attack in Malamfatori, the
headquarters of Abadam Local Government Area
of Borno State, bringing the number of people
killed in the two attacks at the weekend to 18.
Federal Government officials were, yesterday,
unwilling to comment on the attacks amid the
truce talks.

However, one of the officials, who spoke to
Sunday Vanguard, said: ”Our attitude is simply
wait and see.”

Meanwhile, sources said that the alleged killing
of the leader of Boko Haram, Abubakar Shekau,
and the attendant effect on the operations of
the group may have forced it to negotiate with
government.

It was equally learnt that President Goodluck
Jonathan’s re-election bid may have played a
role in the latest efforts to resolve the Nigeria–
Boko Haram conflict.

Sunday Vanguard learnt that government’s
calculation was that the resolution of the Boko
Haram insurgency would be viewed favourably by
Nigerians to Jonathan ahead of his declaration
for second time.

The release of the more than 200 students from
Government Girls Secondary School, Chibok,
Borno State, kidnapped by Boko Haram in April,
more than 180 days ago, also featured
prominently on the truce talks held in Saudi
Arabia.

The eight persons killed in yesterday’s attack
around the Borno hilly communities included
motorists and passengers whose vehicles were
reportedly ambushed by insurgents.

Ambush

Dzur is a mountainous community harbouring
terrorist camps along the Biu- Garkida- Gombi-
Yola road where the late Emir of Gwoza, Alhaji
Idrissa Timta, and some other people were
ambushed and killed by suspected Boko Haram
gunmen early this year.

Just two weeks ago, some insurgents stormed
Shaffa community, about 10 kilometres from
Azare, the council headquarters, and killed over
20 people including a pastor of Living Faith
Church, Eluid Gwamna Mshelizza, who was
slaughtered on his way to his house after
delivering a sermon at about 10pm in the
community.

In that attack, no fewer than six churches were
razed while several houses and shops all
belonging to Christians were looted and
destroyed.

A motorist, who narrowly escaped yesterday’s
attack, Mallam Yakubu Ali Biu, told our
correspondent that the assailants, numbering
over 50, armed with rifles and rocket propelled
launchers, barricaded the highway and opened
fire on motorists and passengers from Biu to
Yola, which led to the killing of eight persons
while many others sustained gunshot injuries.
On how he escaped, he said, ” My brother, it is
by the grace of God that I and some passengers
survived. I was coming from Biu to Gombi when
I sighted motorists running into the bush and in
different directions. I began to hear sound of
gunshots. I quickly made a U-turn back to Biu. A
taxi driver who overtook me on the road around
Tashan Alade was among the victims”.

A residents of neighbouring Shaffa community,
Mr. Mwajim Anjili Balami, told our correspondent
on phone in Maiduguri that the insurgents came
through Kwokshar village and were trying to
enter Shaffa.

“As I am talking to you now, residents have run
away from Shaffa because of lack of security
presence. Our local hunters and vigilante groups
tried to resist the attack, but they were
overwhelmed.”

The 10 people reportedly killed by gunmen in
Malamfatori, Abadam local government area, on
Friday, were said to have included a brother to a
Director in the Ministry of Poverty Alleviation in
Borno State.

Abadam is north and borders Niger and Chad
Republic, about 270 kilometres from Maiduguri.
Sources told Sunday Vanguard that the
insurgents, numbering over 100, were fleeing
from Marge, Monguno and Dikwa axis towards
the Lake Chad basin when they were confronted
by vigilante youth, a situation which forced them
to open fire on residents killing 10 and leaving
over 30 others with gunshot injuries.

A resident who lost a brother said the incident
took place at about 5pm on Friday.

Efforts to contact Borno State police Public
Relations Officer, DSP Gideon Jubrin, were
unsuccessful as his phone lines were not
reachable, but a security source confirmed the
attack.

Losses

Sunday Vanguard was informed, yesterday, that
the death of Shekau, leader of Boko Haram,
“forced its upper cadre to reach out to
President Idris Deby Itno of Chad to help it enter
into truce with the Nigerian authorities.”

Also, it was learnt that the pounding of the
group’s bases in some parts of the North East,
coupled with its losses on the field, played a
role in the deal.

In fact, during negotiations, one of those who
spoke for the insurgents was said to have
explained that some of the terror acts attributed
to Boko Haram were not its handiwork but that
it appropriated and claimed them because it
instilled fear in the people.

Sources also said the continued abduction of the
Chibok girls had made it very impossible for
President Jonathan to be seen making
statements regarding his re-election.

“There was no way he could have come out to
talk about his re-election when the girls were
still in captivity”, a presidential source said.
“The President himself was more or less a
hostage to the entire situation.

“Now that the release of the girls is imminent,
the pace of activities regarding the President’s
re-election would be revved”.

In a related development, the senator
representing Borno Central, the hot-bed of Boko
Haram attacks, Ahmed Zana, when contacted to
react to the ceasefire agreement, yesterday,
said he had no comment as he would watch
unfolding events.

Another Borno senator, Ali Ndome, representing
Borno North, said though he was not aware of
such agreement or cease fire, what was
important to him was the release of the
abducted Chibok girls and in good health.

Source : www.vanguardngr.com/2014/10/24-hours-ceasefire-boko-haram-kills-18-borno/ [/b]

Ceasefire agreement??

well, it was politically fun while the "alleged ceasefire" lasted.

Nigerian government now begging boko haram and dem no wan gree.

So they are playing "smart" on the Federal Government, abi? No wonder US never ever negotiates with terrorists. Those idiots do not understand what it means to keep a truce!