Boko Haram kills pastor, 5 others in Borno

Notorious fundamentalist group, Boko Haram, marred the Christmas celebrations in Borno State as it struck again killing a pastor and five others. Two churches were also burnt in the attack. Sunday Sun gathered that the attackers took advantage of the presence of Christian worshippers who had gathered on Friday for the Xmas eve service to launch an offensive about 7.30p.m. A group of men suspected to be of the Boko Haram sect reportedly stormed some selected churches including the Victory Baptist Church at Dala-Alamderi and gunned down the resident pastor, Rev. Bulus Marwa, 37, Christopher Balami, a lecturer in the state polytechnic, Maiduguri, Paul Mathew, Philip Luka and a tea seller, Yohana Adamu.

The rampaging men also set ablaze the Church of Christ in Nigeria (COCIN), Maiduguri branch but only succeeded in killing the security guard.It was gathered that the men had also attempted to attack other churches but security men engaged them in a shoot out. For about two hours, residents of Maiduguri were again confounded with the sound of gunshots as the Boko Haram men and the security agencies exchanged fire even as many Christians who had gathered in their various churches for the night service scampered home for safety.

Residents had been inundated with a plan by the sect to attack some churches in the state even as more soldiers were deployed in the state during the week. Ironically, the state security task force codenamed Operation Flush, a joint patrol of police and army, could not avert the bloody attack 48 hours after it was forewarned. Governor Ali Modu Sheriff, who visited the burnt Victory Baptist Church on Saturday wondered why the sect could defy all the pre-emptive security arrangement he personally supervised. The governor said he had ordered that all churches, especially major one,s be manned by armed soldiers and police to avoid the disruption of the Christmas celebration upon the receipt of intelligence report that the Boko Haram men strategically decided to change their modus operandi by attacking churches to give the semblance of religious crisis in the state. Sheriff expressed sadness over the development, noting that he had informed the security services in the state to ensure they prevent any occurrence of such.

“I have told the security services that they should do everything possible to secure all churches in Maiduguri because I was informed that these criminals are planning to attack the churches to make it seem as if it is an inter-religious fight. I have given all that is necessary to see that my Christian brothers and sisters have a hitch-free Christmas but I don’t know what went wrong that this big church is left out.” The governor, who also commiserated with the family members of the victims and the church, promised to do everything humanly possible to bring succour to bereaved families. The Borno State Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Abubakar as well as the Brigade Commander 21 Armoured Brigade, Maiduguri, Brig Ndalema jointly confirmed the governor’s directive, adding that the sect members’ attack on the churches was an inevitable slip in their hands. A security guard at the Victory Baptist Church, who pleaded anonymity, said he was within the premises of the church about 7:30pm when he heard unusual noise outside the church.

He said he was surprised to see group of men numbering about 30 at the church gate when attempting to find out the cause of the strange noise. He disclosed that the attackers had forced their way into the church chanting, Allahu akbar (God is great) while they subsequently threw explosives into the church building. “After gaining entrance into the church, they went straight to the Pastor’s quarters and shot the pastor and four other persons who came in for the Christmas carol. Then they moved into the church and set the place ablaze,” he disclosed.
Sunday Sun observed that Christians in the state celebrated the Christmas under tight security as combined team of soldiers and riot policemen were stationed around church premises to forestall further breakdown of law and order.
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Ndi Igbo: Igbos need to head back to their homeland. This is just the start. IGBOS, STOP INVESTING BILLIONS IN NON-IGBO LANDS ESPECIALLY THE NORTH. Those in volatile areas like Plateau, Borno etc should head back to the East and star afresh now. MONEY IS NOT EVERYTHING. You will be back on your feet in no time. Stop putting MONEY before your life. Igboland could use you and your talent. The land of the Rising Sun can't afford to lose another son wantonly. ONYE NWE NTI NURU.

-Ndi Igbo

This is really sad. Nigeria is truly not one country, and we must all sit down like sensible people and choose to go our seperate ways. I am tried of this continous wicked act

^^ why clamouring 4 division of nigeria when u knw there shld be other means of resolving this. Ok, if naija shld separate where do u want your xtian brothers in borno, kano, adamawa etc to go? I guess d violence still continues. We are bent on solving this within time. The major problem here is poverty & lack of good governance 4rm our leaders. For instance the useless governor of borno state is doin nothing in d state to alleviate d suffering of d poor. On d other hand he is busy encouraging thugry. The best way is to dialogue & find ways to reduce poverty.

Northern vampires and religious savages are at it again. What is this?

>>>Retaliation is the best form of reconciliation.

Ochi_Agha, how old are you. ? the write which may be fake story, did not say the people were igbos. and why would an igbo go to another person town if he had billions in his hand.

He leave to go somewhere else if he had nothing. So most igbo who leave igbo to other places in nigeria is because they are poor and they want better life for themself. they dont have billions. Ochi_Agha do you have something for them if they return back to Igboland.

Ochi_Agha you have nothing you are going to give them, you sit on the internet and look for ways to destroys your fellow igbos.

@Maga1

I am sorry , but that is the simple truth, whether you choose to face it or not. Nigeria is not one country. My Christian brother can choose to move down south if they are not happy with the North, that is how it works everywhere else in the world.

Listen, people in the south are equally poor, but they dotn go about attcking muslims do they? or anyone else for that matter, so I am tried of this escuse. Poverty is not reason for people to kill others, why did they not attacked thier fellow muslims?

Where are the muslim leaders condeming this

We need to go our seperate ways, becuse we want peace

And these people celebrated sallah without being attacked. Somebody should put these demons to check now. What excuse is it to kill innocents people. Religion? Ethnic? None!

muslims are going too far.
a time will come when xtians will rise up to defeat these sons of satan.

All the Ndiigbos in Lagos should go back to the East


Stop putting money before your safety

The kidnappers in the EAST can put your life to better use.

The leaders of 2morow, Nigeria is collapsing in our very eyes

But, how are we an integrated nation?

No integration worthsoever. Sham marriage called Nigeria, get the divorce papers out. Time to dream of a new Nigeria, free of violence

If we really want the split of nigeria, let's protest

Ochi_Agha:

Ndi Igbo: Igbos need to head back to their homeland. This is just the start. IGBOS, STOP INVESTING BILLIONS IN NON-IGBO LANDS ESPECIALLY THE NORTH. Those in volatile areas like Plateau, Borno etc should head back to the East and star afresh now. MONEY IS NOT EVERYTHING. You will be back on your feet in no time. Stop putting MONEY before your life. Igboland could use you and your talent. The land of the Rising Sun can't afford to lose another son wantonly. ONYE NWE NTI NURU.

-Ndi Igbo

This is bitter truth.

Southerners should move back to their place. It's clear this country will certainly break.

maga1:

^^ why clamouring 4 division of nigeria when u knw there shld be other means of resolving this. Ok, if naija shld separate where do u want your xtian brothers in borno, kano, adamawa etc to go? I guess d violence still continues. We are bent on solving this within time. The major problem here is poverty & lack of good governance 4rm our leaders. For instance the useless governor of borno state is doin nothing in d state to alleviate d suffering of d poor. On d other hand he is busy encouraging thugry. The best way is to dialogue & find ways to reduce poverty.

If Nigeria breaks and you feel insecure in your native land (North), move to any part of the South you are welcome.

The main aim of boko Haram is to trigger communal violence between muslims and christians.
More than the Mend and Massob its the BOKO HARAM and other similar religious groups that constitute the threat to nigeria unity.

@ ekongking, MEND's agitation is understood by countries the world over, this boko haram theirs is i mean idiotic

1966 all over again