Not fewer that 85 people have been confirmed dead in the Saturday night attack that took place at Dalori village outskirts of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
The Commissioner for Health in Borno State Dr. Haruna Mshelia briefed the Deputy Governor and the GOC at the Specialist Hospital Maiduguri that 65 bodies were deposited at the Specialist Hospital, 10 others at the University Teaching Hospital while another 10 have been buried at Dalori village.
Eyewitness disclosed that they saw more than 20 copses burnt beyond recognition.
There are unofficial sources that inform that the death tool in the attack is over one hundred.
A rescue worker with one of the humanitarian agencies who is not authorized to speak with the press disclosed more than one hundred people were killed during the attack.
A Civilian JT, who identified himself as Hassan Aliyu in Maiduguri also informed The Nation on phone that the death toll in the attack is more than one hundred even as at last night when the attack happened.
“Even as at last night, the people that died were more than one hundred. I am sure many may have died today. Anybody that tells you that the figure is less than one hundred is just not saying the truth,” Hassan Aliyu informed.
Modu Ajari, who escaped the attack, told our correspondent on phone in Maiduguri, that the insurgents came and were shooting sporadically and people started running from all direction.
He disclosed that what caused the high casualty was a suicide bomber who detonated.
The Boko Haram terrorists were said to have arrived the village in a convoy of Golf Volkswagen vehicles and motorcycles laden with explosives and petro-bombs and attacked the village killing the hapless villagers , before torching the village and fled towards Alau Dam by 6pm Saturday.
Dalori is farming and herding community, and 12 kilometres east of Maiduguri, the state capital.
Modu Anfoni , a villager, also said that the insurgents burst into the community through Yale village in a convoy of vehicles and motorcycles in the evening to sneak into Maiduguri without passing through the military posts on Maiduguri-Bama road.
Confirming the reprisal attack in Maiduguri, the Media Coordinator of Operation Lafiya Dole, Col. Mustpaha Anka in a statement said: “The insurgents came in Golf cars, motorcycles and started opening fire and burning houses. Their motives were to cause rancor and penetrate crowd with suicide bombers.
“While people were running for their dear lives to Gomari Kerkeri village, three female suicide bombers attempted to make their way into the crowd, but were intercepted and subsequently got blown up.”
He said during the 45-minute military “fierce repulsion” lives were also lost, while some people sustained various degrees of injuries, while fleeing the attacked village in the evening of Saturday.
Anka also disclosed that : “The insurgents also attempted to penetrate Dalori IDP camp, but it was resisted by the troops; which resulted into detonation of IEDs by the suicide bombers.
The Theatre Commander of Operation Lafiya Dole, Maj-Gen. Umaru Hassan condole the District Head of Dalori, Alhaji Lawal Bashir and his people over the attacks.
He assured the people that the Theatre Command was committed to bringing an end to Boko Haram insurgency in Borno state the Northeast sub-region of the country.
While commending the villagers for their resilience, he urged them to be strong and fully committed in the fight against insurgency and terrorism.
“I also commend the humanitarian assistance of the National and State Emergency Management Agencies (NEMA, SEMA), Nigerian Red Cross and other Stakeholders for their tireless humanitarian efforts of ‘rescuing and resettling’ displaced people in camps,” said Hassan in Maiduguri.
NEMA officials have also informed that they have screened some of the people that fled from the attacks before allowing them entry into the Dalori IDP camp.
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