No fewer than 34 Yobe villagers, killed in a Sunday attack by Boko Haram terrorists in Mafa village, were given a mass burial on Tuesday.
The victims were buried at Babangida, the headquarters of the Tarmuwa Local Government of Yobe State.
Though villagers said over 100 persons were killed, the state government said the casualty figure was 34.
The dead bodies were recovered in a search-and-rescue operation led by the Nigerian Army and supported by local vigilantes.
Villagers claimed that 86 dead bodies were recovered in the surrounding communities of the Mafa village, following the terror attack, during which several houses were razed by the insurgents.
The dead bodies were prepared for burial by the volunteers of the Nigerian Red Cross Society, Babangida Division under the supervision of the Divisional Secretary, Garba Bulama Kachallah.
The spokesman for the Yobe State Police Command, Dungus Abdulkarim, had on Monday, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria, confirmed the terror attack on the Mafa village in the Tarmuwa Local Government Area of Yobe State.
Abdulkarim said though the police had not ascertained the casualty figure, the attackers killed many villagers and razed many houses in the community.
“We have yet to ascertain the number of lives lost in the incident, which occurred at about 4 pm on Sunday in the remote village.
“The incident was reported to the Tarmuwa Divisional Police Station by Babagana Goni and Bako Ibrahim, both residents of Mafa.”
The police spokesman added that the insurgents dropped some fliers with Arabic inscriptions.
The armed assailants were said to have invaded the community on Sunday, riding over 50 motorcycles.
The Yobe State Deputy Governor, Idi Gubana, led a state government delegation on a visit to the community, where he donated N30m to the families of the victims on Tuesday.
The deputy governor, however, said the casualty figure was 34.
He condoled with the Emir of Jajere, Mai Mashio, and the people of the area over the dastardly act.
Gubana directed the State Emergency Management Agency to provide shelter and food items for the displaced persons who lost all their belongings as a result of the attack.
He stated that the state Governor, Mai Mala Buni, who was utterly devastated by the killings, had visited the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, over sustainable security in Mafa.
The deputy governor noted that the deployment of sufficient troops in Mafa – located at the border of Borno and Yobe- would prevent future attacks in the trade hub.
Commenting on the attack, Buni’s Special Adviser on Security Matters, Brig.- Gen. Dahiru Abdulsalam, debunked claims that more than 34 people died in the attack.
“The figure is 34 people that were found dead, while five persons sustained injuries. Four are in critical condition, while the other, sustained a minor injury and he is in stable condition.
“Any information apart from this is just a rumour. Nobody has gone to Mafa yesterday other than the troops, who brought these bodies.
“The insurgents are not confronting the military; they are confronting innocent civilians who are soft targets,” he said.
The incident threw the Mafa village and those living in the local government headquarters into mourning.
In a statement on Tuesday, former Senate President, Ahmed Lawan, condemned the attacked and condoled with the state government and the families of the victims.
“I condole with the families of the victims who lost their lives in the recent insurgent attack on Mafa village in the Tarmuwa Local Government Area of Yobe State.
“I strongly condemn the heinous act of violence and extend my heartfelt condolences to the bereaved families.
“Similarly, I condole with His Excellency, the Yobe State Governor, Mai Mala Buni, the Yobe State Government and the entire people of Yobe State.
“I call on the security agencies to intensify efforts in tracking down the perpetrators of this heinous and dastardly act and bringing them to justice.
“I call on the National Emergency Management Agency and the North East Development Commission to dispatch medical personnel and relief materials to the affected community to provide necessary assistance and support to the injured and displaced residents.
“I urge the people of Tarmuwa Local Government Area to remain calm and vigilant, and enjoin them to report any suspicious activities to the security agencies for prompt response,” Lawan said in the statement.
Madukwe B. Nwabuisi is an accomplished journalist renown for his fearless reporting style and extensive expertise in the field. He is an investigative journalist, who has established himself as a kamikaze reporter.
