Borno State Governor, Babagana Umara Zulum, on Saturday, visited Darajamal community in Bama Local Government Area to commiserate with families of the 63 people killed by Boko Haram insurgents on Friday night.
The victims included five soldiers and about 58 civilians, most of whom were displaced persons resettled in Darajamal just two months ago.
Governor Zulum, visibly shaken by the massacre, met with community leaders and consoled the bereaved families. He condemned the brutal attack in the strongest terms, describing it as “very sad and unfortunate.”
“We are here to commiserate with the people of Darajamal over what happened last night that claimed many lives. This community was resettled only a few months ago and they were going about their normal activities, but unfortunately, Boko Haram struck again. Our visit is to console them and help build their resilience,” Zulum said.
Confirming the scale of casualties, the governor disclosed: “So far, 63 people lost their lives — close to 60 civilians and five soldiers.”
Zulum, while acknowledging the overstretched capacity of the military, called for the immediate deployment of newly trained Forest Guards to complement security forces in protecting vulnerable communities.
“We have to admit the numerical strength of the military is not enough to cover everywhere. Two batches of Forest Guards have been trained, so one immediate solution is to deploy them to vulnerable locations to protect both the forests and the communities,” he added.
Also reacting, Senator Kaka Shehu Lawan, representing Borno Central, condemned the killings as a crime against humanity. He pledged legislative support for the governor’s efforts to restore peace in the state.
Sources further disclosed that, in addition to the killings, scores of residents were abducted, though their whereabouts remain unknown as of press time.
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