Gunmen Killed 43 In Separate Attacks

LAGOS,NIGERIA, Feb 5 (BERNAMA-NNN-AGENCIES) — At least 43 people were killed in separate attacks by gunmen in central and northeastern regions of Nigeria, officials said.

Twenty-four of them were killed in separate attacks on two communities of Plateau State in central Nigeria while 18 traders and a policemen died in the northeastern state of Yobe.

Daniel Dem, a member of the State House of Assembly representing Riyom constituency, told reporters in Jos, the Plateau State capital, that 24 lives were lost during the attacks on Atakar and Dajat communities of Ganawuri.

The lawmaker said 18 persons were killed at Dajat, while 6 others were murdered at Atakar with several houses burnt.

Residents of the two community affected were displaced and are taking refuge in neighbouring communities, he said.

The state police spokesperson Felicia Anslem confirmed the incidents, but declined to give more details.

Meanwhile, police said 19 people were killed in a gunmen attack in the northeastern state of Yobe, one of the three states under a state of emergency.

Sanusi Rufai, Yobe State commissioner of police, confirmed the casualties figure in Damaturu, capital of the state, saying 18 among the victims killed in the attack were traders.

According to the police officer, the victims were returning from Ngalda Market in Gulani local government area of the state when the bandits ambushed them, and dispossessed some of the passersby of their wares.

“The attackers were masked and dressed in military uniform,” said Rufai, who disclosed the police have launched a manhunt for the attackers.

As the gunmen made their escape, they ran into a quarry plant in the area and attacked policemen deployed to the place, killing one of the security agents in the attack, he added.

It is still unclear whether all the attacks were perpetrated by Boko Haram, a sect which has proved to be a hard nut to crack, especially in the northern region of Nigeria.

Adamawa, Borno and Yobe have been under a state of emergency declared by President Goodluck Jonathan eight months ago, due to Boko Harams’s insurgency.

Northern and central parts of Nigeria had recorded a great number of deaths in recent years because of the attacks from the Boko Haram sect and the conflicts among communities with different religion beliefs.

Last month, Nigeria’s newly appointed defense chief Alex Badeh vowed to end the insurgency of Boko Haram by April.