Local reporters in northeastern Nigeria have said that a total of 135 people have been killed by suspected Boko Haram militants since last week Wednesday.
Communication facilities in northeast Nigeria have been destroyed by Boko Haram militants since they intensified their attacks in the area last year.
Borno State Senator, Ahmed Zannah told the BBC African Service that the killings took place in three separate villages in the state.
Eyewitness also told local reporters that the militants first targeted a teacher training college in the town of Dikwa in which they killed 5 people and abducted several women as well. The college library too was burnt down to the ground by the militants.
The militants then moved from this village and attacked two villages near the border with Cameroon, killing a further 130 people before fleeing the scene.
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees estimates that Some 250,000 people have fled their homes this year alone because of Boko Haram attacks.
President Goodluck Jonathan declared a state of emergency in 3 northern states on May 14 last year, and deployed thousands of troops to halt the insurgency, acknowledging that Boko Haram had taken control of some towns and villages in the north.
Nigeria’s security is deteriorating as barely a week passes without Boko Haram militants or any other violence claim innocent lives in the country.
Many political analysts in Nigeria have accused President Jonathan of handling the Boko Haram crisis poorly. They say the army is poorly equipped to engage Boko Haram, making Boko Haram always gaining the upper hand over the military.
Political analysts say it is the biggest security threat in Nigeria and the rest of Africa if nothing is done by the international community. Boko Haram has killed more than 5,000 people since it began its militancy in 2009.
But despite these accusations, President Jonathan on Saturday gave his first daughter hand in marriage to a prince from Cross River State. The ceremony was broadcast live on national Television with Guests at the wedding each receiving customized i-phone. The event was attended by elite political and business class of the country. The weeding has sparked uproar among section of the population due to it lavish nature. Majority of the population live in abject poverty.
Both the UK and United States have blacklisted Boko Haram as a terrorist organization making their laws and regulatory agencies to block business and financial transactions with Boko Haram.
The French and the US governments have all pledged to help Nigeria put the brakes on Boko Haram but nothing substantial has come out of the pledge as civilians continue to die day in and day out.
Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News
Writer’s Email Address: Adamsisska@googlemail.com
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