Survivors of the recent massacre by the Boko Haram in
Baga, Borno State, have been narrating their ordeal.
PREMIUM TIMES had reported how the insurgents stormed
Baga two days after the New Year, sacked soldiers of the
Multi-National Joint Task Force, MNTJF, from their base
stationed in the town, and killed hundreds of people with
residents running for their lives.
Some of the Baga survivors have arrived the Borno State
capital, Maiduguri, and are currently in a displaced
persons camp, which is a newly completed housing estate
built by the state government and named after Shettima
Ali Monguno, Nigeria’s former Minister of Mines and
Power.
While narrating his ordeal, Yahaya Takakumi, a 55-year-
old farmer who lived in Doro-Baga for over 25 years, said
he escaped with one of his wives when the insurgents
attacked.
“I and one of my wives, who was able to escape with me,
spent four days in the bush running for dear life and
safety,” the farmer said. “I thank God I have arrived here
safely but I still have not seen four of my children, my
second wife and my elder brother who is a blacksmith in
Baga.”
Mr. Takakumi said he fears for the life of his brother after
hearing of other attacks.
“Some people said they saw my brother near Daban-Shata
some days ago but everyone from that area said the Boko
Haram gunmen had carried out a massive massacre of
people in Daban-Shata and I fear for his life because only
God can say the number of persons that got killed in that
part of Baga district.
“We ran for days and we saw dead bodies especially on
the Islands of Lake Chad where fishermen had settled;
several persons were killed there like insects,” he said.
The survivor said the insurgents “would lay in ambush on
the water path and once a boat on canoe comes with
fleeing residents, they attack and shoot them all.
“The killings were not done in a day, but that of the first
day was massive, both soldiers and our local people were
killed; even after they had taking over Baga they kept on
attacking other neighbouring villages in the following
days.”
Another survivor, Ibrahim Gambo, told PREMIUM TIMES
that he was still searching for his wife and daughter at the
camp.
According to him, he was part of the vigilante, called
Civilian-JTF, in Baga that initially confronted the Boko
Haram gunmen before they were over powered.
“In Baga, almost every able-bodied male who is grown up
and matured is a member of the vigilante; and most of us
have charms that defy guns and bullet”, the 25-year-old
truck driver said.
“That was why when the fighting started we were able to
arrest many Boko Haram gunmen who we disarmed and
even killed some that tried to resist us violently.”
Mr. Gambo said it was the intervention of the soldiers that
made them withdraw their onslaught on the insurgents.
“We were actually making great inroad in dealing with the
insurgents when the soldiers of the Multi-National Joint
Task Force asked us to withdraw that an Air Force fighter
jet would soon come,” he said. “Shortly after that, the
Boko Haram stormed into Baga almost from all directions;
shooting, killing at will. We had no choice than to join
others to run.”
The survivor also narrated what he witnessed while
escaping.
“We came across many dead bodies, some in groups and
others by themselves in the bush; I saw dead children and
women – and even a pregnant woman with her stomach
slit open.
“We saw a large boat carrying over 25 persons and all of
them shot dead; those whose bodies defy guns or bullets,
would be tied up and dipped into the Lake water until
they die”.
While speaking on the death toll, Mr. Gambo said he could
not ascertain the casualty figure.
“All I know is that the death toll is well over 500 because I
have seen several groups of killed villagers and the least of
such group were five persons,” he said. “The number could
be more because it was not all that fled from Baga that
was able to make it to Maiduguri.”
Also speaking on the massacre, the District Head of Baga,
Baba Abba Hassan, said the casualty was much but not up
to 2000.
“Killing 2000 people is not a small number…2000 it is a
very large number,” he said from the displaced persons
camp.
“All I know as the District Head of Baga to whom most of
my people report, hundreds of our people have killed by
the Boko Haram and most of our communities on the
island of the Lake (Chad) have been attacked and
completely destroyed.
“But I cannot tell you the actual number of people killed
because many were pursued to the bushes and killed…I
can say hundreds have been killed so far. They include
women and children,” he said.
He added that the terrorists, who have since taken over
Baga and other nearby communities, were well prepared
when they came attacking.
”They came with dozens of vehicles and first attacked the
Multi-National Joint Task Force location,” he said. “There
was resistance initially, especially by the Civilian-JTF but
later, the insurgents had upper hand, especially when the
armed soldiers had to start fleeing when there was not
reinforcement.”
Mr. Hassan added that “hundreds of people are now taking
refuge in Maiduguri while the Borno State government had
been sending buses to the bushes to rescue the displaced
that were trying to get to the city by foot.”

http://www.premiumtimesng.com/news/headlines/174658-boko-haram-massacre-baga-survivors-narrate-ordeal.html

. Peace be to you.

I really feel like cryn... But tears don finish for my eyes... How did our nation get to this level...
France have been on stand by and the whole security forces for almost 3days now cos of the death of just 17pple... But here thousands have died and we go about our duties as if nothing happened.

who think GEJ consider these people as human?

even chicken are not killed like this!


CHANGE to survive #GMB/PYO2015 we believe.

The northern part of Nigeria is in a mess and the president of our great nation is going about his re-election. I wept just has Jesus wept in the bible. This is too much, how did we get here. I decree and i prophesy that for every man or woman that has hand either directly or indirectly in this boko haram menace will not know peace and they will be full of regret throughout their life. This curse will go from them and their generation yet unborn. It saddening my heart at the rate people are been massacre, imagine the pregnant woman. It may not be now but definitely they cannot stop the wrath of God because any nation that spill innocent blood is looking for God anger. Jonathan, children, women, men both old and young are been massacre in the north but your own u keep. If u cannot stop this menace pls resign honorably plsssss. This is too much. My heart is heavy. Tonight there shall be confusion in the camp of boko haram and cohort. I am not for pdp nor for Apc but our brothers and sisters in the north are in war situation pls let join hands and pray along with them

Does the govt care? no!


GEJ just has to go


May God be wt all of u in the NE

Sad sad sad

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