Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have killed at least 14 and injured nine others in a daring attack Bam, Borno State, North-East Nigeria, even as gunmen wasted 18 in Ukum, Benue State, in the country’s North-Central. While the Borno attack took place in the early hours of Sunday, the one of Benue happened on Sunday night.

Giving details of the Bama incident, Chairman of Bama Local Government Area, Alhaji Baba Shehu Gulumba, told newsmen in Maiduguri, the state capital: “I attended the funeral of 13 of the victims in Bama this morning (yesterday), but I could not attend the last one because he was buried in Maiduguri after he died from his wounds at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH).

“The local government administration will pay the hospital bills of those injured. They are responding to treatment at UMTH.

“All the dead and injured are members of the youths vigilance group popularly called ‘Civilian JTF.’ They have been assisting security operatives in arresting Boko Haram suspects in Borno State.

“They were at their duty posts when the sect members, dressed in military uniform, came to deceive them that they were needed at a meeting nearby.

“Shortly after they were lured away from their duty posts, they were attacked and killed, while some of the escaped with various degrees of injury.”

The bloody attack in Benue State occurred in Agbena and Agbaaga villages in Ukum Local Government area of the state, which left about 18 persons dead.

In the Benue incident, “the invaders numbering over 20, armed with sophisticated weapons, invaded the Agbena and Agbaaga communities in Benue State at 8p.m. Sunday night without resistance,” says a Vanguard report.

The paper quoted a source as saying: “They invaded the villages in several cars and started shooting anything in sight without resistance from the villagers.

“They also went as far as setting several houses ablaze, while the villagers fled for safety and at the end of the operation that lasted close to four hours, over 17 houses and huts were completely razed.

“At the moment, the affected villages have been deserted while women and children are seeking refuge in neighbouring villages.

“We feel strongly that the invaders were led by one notorious robber popularly known as Gana, who in the past had led several attacks on communities along that axis of the state.

“In this instance, the gang did not take away any loot from their victims and the affected communities. All they did was to kill and set houses ablaze.”

Reacting to the incident, the Benue State Commissioner of Police, Mr. Adams Audu, said the police was yet to get the full details of the incident.

•Photo shows a group of Boko Haram fighters.

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