B’Haram kills eight in Borno as soldiers free Sokoto hostages

Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have killed at least eight persons in fresh attacks on Borno communities, even as troops of Operation FANSAN YAMMA  rescued nine kidnapped victims in Sokoto State.

Five farmers were murdered while working on their farmlands in Ngoshe community, Gwoza Local Government Area, and three villagers were slain in their homes in Mussa, Askira/Uba Local Government Area, before the attackers razed down several houses on Saturday.

Confirming the attacks, the senator representing Borno South, Ali Ndume, condemned the killings as acts of “cruelty.”

“I am profoundly saddened by these senseless killings. Our people, whose only pursuit is peace and livelihood, continue to fall victim to the cruelty of insurgents.

These young men and women deserved to live, to farm, and to dream, but their lives have been cut short by those who thrive on violence and destruction,” Ndume said in a statement on Sunday.

He assured residents of Ngoshe, Mussa, and other parts of Borno South of his commitment to pressing for stronger security measures.

“We will not fold our hands while our people are being attacked,” he vowed, adding that he was working with the Federal and State Governments and security agencies “to push for more deployment of personnel, sophisticated weapons, stationed attack helicopters or fighter jets, with improved intelligence sharing and proactive measures to protect our vulnerable farming communities.”

The senator urged residents to remain vigilant and united, stressing that resilience and cooperation with security operatives were critical to ending insurgency.

Meanwhile, in a separate development, OPFY troops rescued nine kidnapped victims, including three women and six children, during a successful ambush on terrorists along the Isa–Shinkafi–Kaura Namoda Road, between Sokoto and Zamfara States, on Sunday night.

According to a statement by the OPFY Media Information Officer, Captain David Adewusi, the terrorists attempted to use the captives as human shields but were overpowered.

“The troops responded methodically and decisively, resulting in the neutralization of a handful of terrorists, while many others fled with gunshot wounds,” the statement read.

The victims, abducted from Garin Bature village in Sabon Birni LGA of Sokoto, were evacuated to the General Hospital, Shinkafi, for medical care before being handed over to local officials for reunion with their families.

Items recovered at the ambush site included an AK-47 rifle with two magazines containing 20 rounds, a motorcycle, three mobile phones, and a desert camouflage uniform.

Captain Adewusi assured residents that the military would sustain its aggressive operations until terrorism and banditry were eliminated from the North-West and North-Central zones, urging communities to continue sharing credible intelligence with troops.