Governor Babagana Umara Zulum of Borno State, on Saturday, visited Darajamal, a community in Bama, to condole with families of the 63 people who were killed by Boko Haram insurgents on Friday night.

The victims comprised five soldiers and about 58 civilians.

The civilians were earlier displaced by the insurgents but returned to Darajamal two months ago.

Zulum, visibly moved by the incident, met with community leaders and consoled the bereaved families.

Speaking to newsmen, the governor said, “We are here to commiserate with the people of Darajamal over what happened last night that has claimed the lives of many people. It is very sad. This community was settled a few months ago and they go about their normal activities, but unfortunately, they experienced Boko Haram attack last night. Our visit is to commiserate with them and build their resilience.”

On the casualties, the governor said, “At this moment we have confirmed that 63 people lost their lives, both civilians and military, although the civilian casualties are more.”

Governor Zulum, while noting the challenges faced in the fight against insecurity, also called for the immediate deployment of the newly-trained Forest Guards to complement the military in safeguarding vulnerable communities.

He said, “We have to take note that the numerical strength of the military is not enough to cover everywhere. So far, so good; two sets of Forest Guards have been trained. Therefore, one of the solutions that we need to implement immediately is to deploy the trained Forest Guards to most of the locations that are vulnerable, they will protect the forest and communities.”

Also, the Senator representing Borno Central, Kaka Shehu Lawan, whose constituency Darajamal falls under, has condemned the attack, describing it as a crime against humanity. (Weekend Trust, excluding headline)

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