Local reporters in the Nigerian State of Bono have reported that suspected Boko Haram militants have gunned down 30 people at weeding ceremony over the weekend.
The incident was reported to have happened on a dangerous stretch of road between Bama and Banki in Borno State capital Maiduguri.
An eyewitness told local reporters that he saw a lot of dead bodies at where the weeding was taken place and that the groom was among the dead.
“All the victims were brutally murdered by the attackers, my passengers and I were shocked when we met the dead bodies lying by the highway.”
Another eyewitness also said: “We saw a lot of dead bodies killed by gunshots and some by the roadside that appeared to have been slaughtered with their throats slit’’.
Local reporters also say a week ago, dozens of people were killed during a lengthy gunfight after suspected militants attacked the town of Damaturu, burning police and military buildings.
Adamawa state spokesman Ahmad Sajoh said the wedding fatiha, the official Muslim ceremony, had taken place in Firgi village in neighboring Borno state and the groom and guests were driving home to Adamawa when they were attacked.
A survivor and friend of the groom, Japhet Haruna said he escaped the killing through a miraculous way and described it as a terrible experience.
“I wonder how I and few other people survived the onslaught because it was well coordinated. I was in the fifth vehicle in the convoy and when I realized that the attackers were out to kill, I ran into the bush’’.
I believe it is God that saved me and (a) few others from their bullets. They targeted everybody in the convoy—Muslims, Christians and children,” said Haruna, adding that the escape “was miraculous’’, he said.
A video released by Boko Haram on Monday has the group purported dead leader, Abubakar Shekau saying that he personally led that attack.
“Look at what happened in Damaturu, since we killed them with our hands in fact I was the commander of the operation so, you cannot say I’m making conjecture’’, he said.
Issaka Adams / NationalTurk Africa News
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