At least 80 people have been killed and several others are missing in an attack by suspected Boko Haram militants in northeastern Nigeria's Yobe state, local authorities said.
“About 150 suspected Boko Haram terrorists armed with rifles and RPGs were killed. [rocket-propelled grenades] “They attacked the Mafa area at around 4pm on Sunday with more than 50 motorbikes,” Yobe state police spokesman Abdulkarim Dungusu said, according to AFP news agency. “They killed many people and burned many shops and houses. The exact number of those killed in the attack is yet to be confirmed.”
Dungus said it appeared to be a “retaliatory attack for the killing of two Boko Haram terrorists by village vigilantes.”
Local official Brama Jalaluddin added: “These figures reveal that at least 81 people were killed in the attack.”
“When soldiers arrived in Mafa to remove the bodies, 15 bodies had already been buried by relatives. In addition, an unknown number of victims from nearby villages caught up in the attack had been removed and buried by relatives before the soldiers arrived. Many more are still missing and their whereabouts unknown.”
Jihadist groups such as Boko Haram have waged a 15-year insurgency in northeastern Nigeria, killing more than 40,000 people. Central and northwestern Nigeria have long been plagued by criminal gangs known as “bandits,” who attack villages, killing and abducting residents, looting and burning down homes.
By working with these gangs, jihadist groups have strengthened their presence in central Niger state, officials and analysts say.
