Massacre: How long would this continue in Nigeria.. do we still have hope?

MEDICAL PERSONNEL OF THE MULTINATIONAL JOINT TASK FORCE (MNJTF) TREATING CIVILIANS INJURED BY BOKO HARAM IN DAWASHI VILLAGE, KUKAWA LGA OF BORNO STATE

At least 43 people have been killed in separate incidents by suspected Boko Haram insurgents in Kaga and Kukawa local government areas of Borno State over the weekend, locals and security sources say. In the bloodbath on Friday and Saturday, 23 people were killed in Mainok and 20 in Dawashi when the Islamist sect members launched reprisal attacks against the Volunteer Vigilance Youths Group (VVYG), popularly called ‘Civilian JTF,’ which has helped in tracking and hunting down insurgents since the declaration of a state of emergency.

Many more were also injured in the attack, some of them with life-threatening gunshot wounds.

Confirming the deaths in Dawashi, the Multinational Joint Task Force (MNJTF) based in Kukawa disclosed that the incident occurred when Boko Haram gunmen opened fire on vigilantes who stormed the village in search of insurgents.

“According to an eyewitness who pleaded anonymity, a group of Civilian Joint Task Force from Maiduguri stormed the village Dawashi in search of Boko Haram members when the suspected sect members came armed and fired sporadic shots that killed over twenty innocent civilians while a dozen secured serious gunshot injury,” MNJTF spokesman Lt. Haruna Sani said in a statement emailed to journalists yesterday.

“The victims are mostly fishermen and traders who pursue their legitimate business in the area. As at the time of compiling this report, the (surviving) victims were still lying within the premises of MNJTF Field Ambulance receiving medical treatment from the injury sustained during the attack.

“Meanwhile, heavily armed Quick Reaction Group from MNJTF had been deployed to ensure the safety of lives and property in the area. The general area of Dawashi, Daban Masara and Malan Karanti are known to be suspected Boko Haram infested areas.”