From Tom Garba, Yola
Rampaging Boko Haram insurgents have again struck in Madagali in the northern part of Adamawa, slitting the throats of six residents in the midnight Attack, locals have said.
Madagali Local Government, which shares border with the dreaded Sambisa forest, was one of the areas once annexed by Boko Haram insurgents. It was however later cleared of terrorists after Boko Haram was routed by Nigerian troops in a counter-insurgency operation last year.
A fleeing resident, Musa Amadu , in a telephone interview, said the insurgents struck the village at about 12:30am on Sunday and picked their prospective victims in their houses before setting ablaze two houses of prominent personalities in the town, making residents to flee into nearby bushes.
Amadu said the insurgents slaughtered six people, while several others sustained injuries. “We are now in deep sorrow,” Amadu lamented.
According to him, the insurgents had a field day for many hours as they operated unchallenged due to complete absence of security personnel in the area they attacked.
Another resident of the area, Joseph John, accused the soldiers deployed to the area of leaving them to their own fate, corroborating Mr. Amadu’s account that there was complete absence of security personnel in the attacked area.
“We want the government to deploy more security personnel for us because as Nigerians the government owes us a duty to protect us,” he said.
The member representing Madagali and Michika Federal Constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon. Adamu Kamale confirmed the attack, saying that six people were killed and eight others injured during the midnight attack.
“We are in mourning now. They slaughtered six people and eight others were seriously injured.
“The fact that our area share borders with Sambisa forest and Cameroon should have been enough reason why government must deploy security personnel to protect us. If the government does not take proactive measures to stem the ugly insurrection of insurgents into our domain, they will kill all of us. The number of soldiers deployed is grossly inadequate. We need more security personnel as our villages share borders with Sambisa forest,” the lawmaker said.
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