Boko Haram/ISWAP Attack: Eye Witness Narrates How Over 19 Persons Were Killed, Buried In Adamawa Community

….LCCN Archbishop Condemns Attack, Laments Lives Lost, Damage Done In Community

A combined team of the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) and Boko Haram killers have invaded Dabna, Adamawa Community in Northeast Nigeria and killed more than 19 Christians, burned down Churches and hundreds of shops, houses during the early hours of Wednesday attack according to an eye witness.

He said that the community is Christian-faith dominated and sharing boundary with the state of Maiduguri in the South where the Senator representing Borno Central, Baba Kaka Garbai has once said that the terror group still hold on strong to about 50 percent of troubled Borno state, hoisted their flag and declared a seizure of the land from the Nigerian government some few years ago.

The eye witness, who is a member of the community, Ezra Zulaitus recounted how the ugly invasion took place and saw the killing of his friends.

He cried in bitterness how some of them were sliced like chickens by the ISWAP and Boko Haram joined team to death.

He narrated that he set up around 5 am on Wednesday to Yola, the Capital City of Adamawa state which is about 160 kilometers from Dabna, a 5 kilometers community to Garaha Muddle, a suburb community of Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa state where the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Boss Mustapha came from, where Dabna to Hong he said is 23 kilometers distance.

According to him, he saw seven motorcycles driving into the village with two or three persons on top, some were wearing Army uniforms while most of them were wearing native regalia of Hausas (Jallabiya) and their heads well turbaned.

While in tears, he said most of those killed are in one way or the other related and are mostly members of LCCN and Awareness Church.

Those killed in his presence are: “Daric Nehemiah, Yaro Binham (Yaro Yaro), my Younger Brother (Lauri Barima), Linus, Jethro Bitrus, Innocent Karam, Bitrus Benjamin, Vandu Dan Michika, one called Baban JK, DM Arastus, Engr JS Arastus, Boy Pius, Pst Monday Usman, Kwata Brother, Babe Adams, Obi Sylvanus, Alison Aliyuda Yarima, Zakaria.

“All these people we buried them on Wednesday afternoon before my own very eyes and I counted them before I ran out of the community to a safer haven. Someone like Zakaria is my friend and we stayed in the same house.

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“I was later informed that others died in Ka’ala, Gombi Hong whose corpses I didn’t see and were all buried there amidst fears of another attack,” Ezra said

He said the Boko Haram attacks are succeeding because there are no security checks in Dabna being the border community between Adamawa and Borno states.

“I’m calling on the government to put serious security checks in Dabna, though there are security men in Garaha Mudile which is close to us, the issue is that we are the border village of Adamawa and Borno state. Being the gateway community of the two states other attacks are imminent and looming.

“There is a serious need for security men or station being stationed by the federal government in the border communities, this will make them to see and know when Boko Haram members will attack our communities.

“I’m pleading with the government to beef up security, they always follow a particular route from Borno state straight down to Adamawa through our village, it’s the first point of their call when they left Borno.

” I was reliably told two members of the ISWAP and Boko Haram were said to be arrested, sending threats of a come back for a rescue mission and attacks to our community leaders,” Ezra further said

Angered by the recent attack of the insurgents on Churches and the economic livelihood of Christians in Adamawa State, the President of Lutheran World Federation, (LWF), Archbishop Filibus Panti condemned the killing of the innocent Christians at a time the federal government of Nigeria is still insisting that Boko Haram sects have been degraded.

Panti who is also the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN) Presiding Archbishop with their headquarters in Numan, Adamawa state worried over the body of Christ in Nigeria to always have a direct attack by deviant people in the name of religion.

He lamented that the government under President Muhammadu Buhari is not doing much to protect the citizens of the country who are on daily basis facing all forms of insecurity.

While condemning in totality the reoccurrence of such attacks, he said it is “utterly unacceptable that it is happening again just within the spate of three months.”

In a statement he signed, he said a delegation of the Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria to the community led by Bishop Amos Elisha Gaya witnessed the level of destruction, fear, and trauma inflicted on the people of Dabna and surrounding communities.

The Archbishop is calling on the government to quickly come to the aid of this community and forestall further occurrence of these inhuman acts that are resurfacing in the northeast.

He said the destruction of human lives and worship places especially Churches is a sacrilege.

He condemned the constant burning of churches in the village. The Archbishop said this should not be allowed to continue; he called on Churches and other well-meaning individuals to come to the aid of the victims especially families of those killed in the attack.

He prayed that God will comfort the Church and the families of all those affected

Security sources through the 23 Armour Brigade public relations officers, Major Mohammed Haruna Sani have confirmed that the heavily armed insurgents ambushed the village during the wee hours but the military stationed in that area were able to repel.