Boko Haram Chief Butcher, Zakari Mohammed
Ardo, has said that he slaughtered “only five
people” while operating with his fellow sect
members.
Ardo, who was yesterday paraded before
reporters at a police facility in Abuja, said it took
him two minutes to slaughter a human victim
marked for the slab.
The suspect said he was the leader of a five-man
team of butchers. According to him, the four other
members pinned the victim down while he cut the
throat.
The 30-year-old suspect, who spoke to reporters
through an interpreter (he spoke in Kanuri) said he
joined Boko Haram in 2012 and operated with the
sect until his arrest on July 12, 2014.
Zakari Mohemmed was arrested by the police
along Darazo-Basrika road, Bauchi while fleeing
from the Balmo Forest.
He has since been under arrest until news filtered
in at the weekend that he had escaped from police
custody.
Force Public Relations Officer, Frank Mba said the
police authorities decided to parade the suspect to
debunk reports of his purported escape.
According to him, the suspect was still being
interrogated and investigated.
Boko Haram attacked Gwoza town in southern part
of Borno State yeaterday, killing scores of people.
The town’s police station, two churches, the local
government secretariat and some other buildings
were burnt down by the invading insurgents who
fired indiscriminately in the onslaught. The town is
135 kilometres from Maiduguri, the state capital.
A resident of the town Yahaya Mbursa recounted
attack when he spoke with reporters yesterday. He
said after setting the churches on fire and
snatching unspecified number of vehicles at the
Motor Park near the burnt police station, they fled
into the hill tops of Mandara Mountains and the
Sambisa Forest.
“The Boko Haram dawn attacks were very
shocking and terrifying. The gunmen burst into this
town through the mountain tops and western forest
of Sambisa. Some of the residents had to flee into
nearby bushes and the hills, near this market
square.
“I cannot tell you the exact number of people killed
yesterday while fleeing, but about a dozen were
shot dead,” he said.
Another source in the town said: “We had to run for
our dear lives when the gunmen attacked the
motor park and warned us not to panic but
surrender all the vehicles; including the ones being
loaded with passengers.” He added that they took
many vehicles away.
A former Vice-Chairman of Gwoza local
government Mr. Francis Mbala, confirmed the
attack.
Military sources in Maiduguri to ld reporters that
that troops in the Bama-Gwoza axis and the ones
in Damboa town and Bulabulin Ngarwa village in
Borno state, were on Special Military Operations
against insurgents.
“The insurgents are on the rampage, as they have
no any other place to hide now, other than to attack
vulnerable towns and villages near the Mountain
tops and Sambisa Forest,” the military source, said
because he is not authorised to speak to reporters.