Buhari, Northern governors, S’Arabia condemn Yobe killings

• Villagers claim over 100 killed, govt confirms 34

Former President, Muhammadu Buhari, the Northern Governors’ Forum and the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, yesterday, decried a recent terrorist attack on Yobe State that led to the loss of lives.

In a statement by his media aide, Garba Shehu, the former president said the latest incident was a “dreadful reminder that communities supported by governments have more work to do in curbing the menace of the terrorists.”

Buhari called for strict response to those who commit these monstrous acts as suspected Boko Haram militants attacked Mafa village in Yobe State’s Tarmuwa Local Government Area on Sunday, looting and burning down shops and homes.       The Chairman of the Northern States Governors’ Forum (NSGF) and Governor of Gombe State, Muhammadu Yahaya, also strongly condemned the deadly attack.

In a statement by Ismaila Misilli, the Director-General of Press Affairs at the Gombe Government House, Yahaya described the assault as a “senseless act of violence” that has inflicted immense grief on the affected families and communities.

Yahaya commended the efforts of security forces in combating remnants of criminal groups but stated the urgent need for intensified operations to capture and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Similarly, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia in a statement released by the Royal Embassy in Nigeria condemned what it considered as treacherous attack while expressing its sympathy to relatives of the victims.

Though villagers said over 100 persons were killed by terrorists, the state government has confirmed 34 casualties killed on Sunday and since buried on Tuesday.

Yesterday, the Yobe State governor, Mai Mala Buni, had an extensive meeting with the Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, on recent security infringements in the state.

Buni expressed concern over the new trend of incursion of terrorists into the state who attacked, killed, and looted properties in soft targets along the borders.

Buni said: “Generally, there have been great improvements in security across the state, except for the recent incursion of the terrorists from across the borders and attacking the border communities. Sadly, three days ago, we recorded terrorist attacks on Mafa, a border village with Borno State, and a few days earlier, in Geidam, a border community with Niger Republic, in which we lost several lives.”

The CDS said the military would deploy more personnel and new strategies to bring an end to the movements and attacks by criminals in the identified areas.

He assured improved synergy among the armed forces and the communities to collectively and successfully defeat terrorism in Nigeria and other forms of crime across the country generally.