Witnesses claim genocide in Attagara amid Boko Haram chaos

An on the spot investigation by our correspondent suggests that the current situation in some parts of Borno State may amount to genocide. Although the focus has been on the bombings and kidnappings as well as the potential human rights violations and crimes against humanity, nobody has been bold enough to call the situation there an outright massacre.

The possible genocide extends to women, children and Christians, according to BDSUNDAY investigations. The dastardly act is carried out largely by attrition and execution.

Scores of indigenes who escaped the latest round of massacre in Attagara, a Christian community in Gwoza Local Government in Borno State testified to systematic killings and their experience remain as vivid as the hundreds of ‘fathers’ still unburied days after their massacre.

63 years Rifkatu Samaila, one of the few women who was courageous and fortunate enough to have her husband buried, told BD SUNDAY in a village near Attagara that the Boko Haram sect started the onslaught on Attagara on the 1st of June. She said the villagers defended themselves until June 3rd when they came back in thousands (enough to surround the whole village) in an attempt to wipe out the entire community. She said after the attack, the sect spent an extra five days in the village; moving freely without any challenge.

“For over one year, whether it’s raining or sunny nobody sleeps in that village. We spend the whole nights, everyday watching. During this period, the insurgents were coming to attack the village everyday but were not successful because our men were repelling them. So, the insurgents realized that they may not be able to attack the village unless they called for reinforcement; that was why they had to call all their followers in the region-from Sambisa, Banki, Gwoza and all other places, to team up together to carry out the attack”, she narrated.

According to her, the killers in the latest attack numbered about a thousand.

“They surrounded the village and opened fire indiscriminately, wiping out all the men and some women and children who were unfortunate; they took away all the livestock and food stuffs of their victims in the process. They took grains, groundnut, bean; all farm produce in all the houses. They took away everything. They sacked the whole village. Anything that appealed to them was taken and they destroyed what they considered worthless”, she said.

Samaila’s account reflects the fierce method of killing that has been adopted by Boko Haram not only in Attagara village but also across the state. The killings were often gruesome and barbaric. But even more disappointing is the failure by teeming Nigerians to make the important link that the Boko Haram campaigns is one of the key phases of the brewing Genocide in the north—a genocide that has led to the death of over 12,000 Nigerians so far.

The Attagara massacre began at about 10 am, according to eyewitnesses who spoke to BDSUNDAY. On the very morning President Goodluck Jonathan went to Delta state to visit with his friend (Ayo Oritsejafor), who was setting up a private university. To make matters worse, a day after the incident began, the Borno state governor had boasted in an interview with Voice of America (VOA) that the Boko Haram war lord (Abubakar Shekua) was a ‘mad man’ who could easily be defeated.

The Boko Haram team went to the helpless Attagara village in their thousands to revenge the defeat they had suffered in the hands of the valiant villagers. The terrorists had attempted to invade the village on two occasions but the villagers successfully defended their village without the help of the Military; killing five members of the sect with locally made arms (arrow, javelins, gun and cutlasses). The sect enraged with this defeat, mobilized all their members in the region and returned with sophisticated weapons to annihilate the village completely.

The notorious sect deceived the villagers into believing they were soldiers sent to protect them. The deception worked because the leadership of the village had earlier gone to the Military to request for assistance and were given assurances of protection.

Consequently, the villagers were persuaded to lay down their weapons in the belief that they were soldiers sent to their rescue. They persuasion succeeded because they men wore military uniform, and they came in vehicles befitting only National Military and NATO soldiers. In obedience to ‘government troops’ they laid down their arms; and were directed to the village square where a purported security meeting would take place.

It was too late for the villagers to realize they had been herded to their graves. They were massacred in the village square once they got there with rocket launchers and armoured tank guns.

Some were shot on their heads, buttocks and others their stomach ripped opened with bullets. Those who were already on the ground were shot at point blank range.  Young ladies had their breast slashed off. Those who were fleeing towards the mountains were chased and fired at.

All the men were killed except few among those who were stationed to guard the churches and the only primary school in Attagara. Children between the ages of 7 to 10 years were abducted and carried into slavery to be use as child soldiers. Mothers who struggled to rescue their sons were shot dead. Some male children who were able to escape were quickly disguised to look like female children by courageous and smart mothers.

Several days after the incident there was still no sign of the Military. The killers watched the women bury their dead! At the time our Correspondent attempted to enter Attagara, the men from the outlawed group, Boko Haram were still in charge.

BD SUNDAY can authoritatively report that, the only place soldiers were sighted near Attagara was in Ashigashiya near Nigeria’s border with Cameroon where the Emir of Gwoza lives; about 20 kilometers east of Attagara.

Speaking to BD SUNDAY, Rev Donatus Tada, of Believers Authority church, who lost three of his brothers, his house and church building to the attack, said “They burnt my house and church and all the churches in Attagara which were more than five denominations”. He said the casualties recorded in both Attagara and neighbouring villages when put together were numbering over five hundred. According to him, five days after the genocide attempt, the insurgents were still in the village; preventing those who had fled from coming to see if there was anything they could salvage.

“Even throughout last week they were there taking the spoil. None of the residents who fled has been able to visit the village. They burnt down the whole place. Nothing was left standing”, he said.

Though, the number of male children carried away by the insurgents was is to be ascertained, BD SUNDAY can authoritatively report that Attagara’s male children were indeed abducted.

Samaila explained that, male children were snatched from their mothers by the insurgents during the attack and taken away. She said the attack was so fierce to the extent that mothers and children fled in different directions and nobody knew where anybody was. “Nobody ever suspected that they would come in such a thousand as they did.

“Those who have fled to Cameroon are stranded in between the river considered as boundary between Nigeria and Cameroun. All the people who fled there for days now have no food and water; no provision of any kind! They cannot go into Cameroon and they cannot go back to their homes”, she said.

“Two of my grand children are still missing but someone told me that they were able to escape to a neighbouring village. Many parents are still looking for their children as I speak with you now. Right now, the whole village has been wiped out. A village of about a thousand households. The only people that are left in Attagara are the extremely old ones (those who are blind who cannot make even fire for themselves). I am very worried for them. No one knows their plight because the whole village is filled with unburied corpses. I was courageous enough to bury my husband they killed! Many don’t have anybody to bury them! They have swollen up and stinking right now”, she said as she wiped tears from her eyes.

She further said that the dead bodies were so many that she lost count having counted over a hundred. “On that day, anywhere you go in the village there were dead bodies! The matter of numbering the dead was very challenging because it was too many! Women were the ones burying their dead because there were no men”, she said.

“What I will like to beg the world is to help us ask our government whether we are still Nigerians. We on the eastern part of that mountain (Bayan Dutse), we are naked there. As far as I am concern that land does not belong to Nigeria because the government of Nigeria is not in control of the territory. Boko Haram is at liberty to do whatever they can there; and nobody is interested in rescuing the land from them.”

“They have hoisted their flag everywhere since 2007. There is no authority that has gone down to find out what is wrong in the place. Nobody wants to listen to our cries. Nobody wants to confirm stories about us, nobody considers our plight as matter of national importance.”

“If they don’t want us, the government should release us and we will be willing to join Cameroon. Maybe Cameroon would protect our interest. Even with the massacre, the Nigerian government is yet to come here and see what the Boko Haram have turned the place into. They only come here during the time of elections to ask for our votes. Even the present administration in the state; they only visit the western part of the mountain. Why is it so? Right now, our own land is in the hand of Boko Haram and the Nigerian government does not want to liberate us”, she cried.

Nine year old Stella Yakubu, who was lucky to escape with her grandmother when the terrorists struck told BDSUNDAY in Maiduguri that they came in thousands in Military uniform and vehicles.  The two vehicles she described could be armour tanks. She said two of the vehicles they brought were very big and rolling on the ground with big gun at the top of it.

According to the little girl who was still frightened during the interview, they chased and shot two men close to where she had run to take cover in a nearby bush; packing whatever they considered valuable and setting houses ablaze.

“They abducted many boys and any mother who struggled with them over her son was shot dead. They also went with some women. On our way out of Attagara to Maiduguri we met another set who tried to take me away from my grandmother. While my grandma was struggling with them that was when the Civilian JTF came to our rescue. The CJTF outnumbered the Boko Haram there”, she said.

She said she trekked from Attagara to Gwoza (about ten kilometers) from the western part of the mountain towards the Mandara Mountain (a difficult journey parents would normally not allow their wards to embark on).

“I saw plenty dead bodies everywhere! It was difficult to count how many people were lying dead! They came with two motors that had a gun on it. Very big like caterpillar. Some came with okada (motorcycles). The vehicles were exactly military colour! We actually thought they were soldiers when they came. They killed my grandpa that I was staying with”, she said.

Rifkatu Ibrahim was another brave girl who singlehanded escaped during the 3rd June Attagara onslaught and found her way through the complex mountains to Maiduguri town.

She told BD SUNDAY that she was at home with her family when she heard the news that the Military were coming to the village and that the residents should keep their arms; not knowing it was the insurgents who were coming to destroy the entire village.

According to her, even people who fled to the mountain were followed by the insurgents and shot at close range with blood spilling everywhere. “I was able to escape to a distance mountain. By the time the shooting had died down the next day we crept back there; and we found out that there were a lot of people lying on the ground; they were all dead! Countless dead bodies! I have never seen such before! Even when I closed my eyes I could still see dead bodies! I found myself shivering! The insurgents went to a nearby mountain where some residents had succeeded in keeping their animals and packed everything”, she said

She said as they were fleeing, she saw a girl in their midst whose right breast was slashed off.

“There was another girl whose natural hair was pulled off her head forcefully. When we got to a safe village we had to beg for transport money to come to Maiduguri. We were afraid but necessity for safety compelled us to go through the mountain. Even while on the mountain we could see huge smoke ascending from our village. Up till now everybody is looking for their loved ones”, she said.

Rifkatu, who said she was still suffering from the trauma, stated those who have been buried so far were the privileged men whose wives were alive and courageous enough to withstand the extreme sorrowful atmosphere due to the number of death toll, blood spillage and the offensive odour emanating from the bust corpses yet to be buried. At present, she is yet to know the whereabouts of her parents.

Maryamu Yakubu, Stella Yakubu’s mother whose father was killed in Attagara by the insurgents, told BDSUNDAY that she has not been able to eat properly since she received the news of her father’s death. She posited that the losses; both human and materials were irreparable as far as the attack was concern.

“They killed my dad and carried everything that we have laboured to send them. I am very sad as a mother and a daughter! It was just God that helped my daughter; otherwise she would not have been able to climb that kind of mountain. It is very hard to tell whether it is government fighting us or Boko Haram because everything they use belongs to government”, she said.

A dangerous journey to Attagara

The only alternative escape route that was available to Rifkatu and her team was not a journey to be desired. But the young girls were left with no other choice since they desired to stay alive. With the insurgents having blocked all the major road, they embarked on the journey.

Our Correspondent attempted going to Attagara through Chibok from Askira near the Sambisa forest, the now famous Headquarters of Boko Haram terrorists, to connect Uba village, to another village (shuwa) in the same region.

On the roads leading to Madagali, there are a lot of military checkpoints but the people in this region are aware that the insurgents’ base was very close. The tension in the area was indeed a frightening one in spite of the presence of the Military.

Though Gulak was another highly nervous community, it can however be regarded as ‘paradise’ when compared to the unseen but yet gripping, evil-like atmosphere in Gwoza coming through the village hosting the Nigerian Mopol Training Camp. Gwoza is the main place that is very suspicious. The insurgents are believed to be hiding somewhere in the bush there. The sight of many houses that have been burnt in Gwoza was enough evidence the hamlet was a danger zone. Several buildings standing horribly like human bodies without heads.

Though not celebrated, the bravery of these residents was second to none. At almost every checkpoint, drivers and their passengers are asked to tender their identity card. Sometimes passengers are asked to get down from the cab and walk through! Everyone is a suspect!

When our Correspondent arrived at Gwoza roundabout to connect the foot of the mountain, it was already 5pm. It was through this mountain ranges called Gudus that Rifkatu and her team had escaped through on foot.

As one climbs up the mountains, the path is strewn with rocks. It was a difficult mountain to climb coming in contact with Monkeys and Baboons. All the settlements showed signs of people abandoning their homes; only few were wandering in the valley.

While approaching Attagara at about 7:45 pm, our Correspondent and his guide had to run for cover with residents who were scouting for information regarding the whereabouts  of the outlawed group. The sound of gunshot being fired in the village could be heard from a distance. Unfortunately, the phone’s torch light went off here. Moving closer to fleeing residents who later granted interviews, one could not but admit something terrible was polluting the air due to the offensive odour emanating from the village.

A surviving leader from Attagara who wished to remain anonymous for fear of later victimization, told BD SUNDAY in Ashigashiya that, his village, was a Christian Community with different denominations of churches. “It has UIN which has its own divisional Headquarters in Attagara for quite a while. It has National Evangelical Mission and the Redeemed Christians Church of God (RCCG) is also there. Attagara was the first village to be attacked by the insurgents when they left Maiduguri. In that incident, four people were killed and churches burnt down”, he said.

He said the vulnerability of Attagara village is due to its closeness to Sambisa forest, the widely known base of the Boko Haram insurgents. He said “Sambisa forest is in the western part of Mondara Mountain while Attagara is in the eastern part of the same mountain. The Nigeria Mopol Training Camp is there in Gwoza; which is the western part of the mountain. It is closer to Sambisa forest. How did the insurgent manage to cross this mountain where we have the Mopol Training Camp and attack villages? The insurgents move about freely without any challenge from the authority; planting flags everywhere, implying that they have taken over the territory. Nigeria still exists as a nation and allowing group of terrorists to hoist its own flag.

“This is worst than a treason”, he said.

“I was among the men stationed in churches and the only primary school in Attagara. We didn’t want to be taken by surprise. The wisdom was that, the Boko Haram elements may come back and attack these institutions while we hold meeting with the soldiers. So, we decided to remain in our posts for security reasons; unknown to us these were our very enemy. It was only the swift and lucky ones among us who were able to flee to the mountain.

“The state government is yet to visit Attagara since this genocide attempt. They said they would turn the churches into mosques. Nigerians seems to be confused about the aim of Boko Haram. They are very clear and have said it repeatedly that they want to Islamize Nigeria. The Nigerian government is pretending that they don’t know what Boko Haram wants; they have told them that they want Islamic Republic, simple. As far as we are concerned we do not trust the Military and the government because it is either they are the ones attacking us, or they are supporting the insurgents against us, or better still, the Military hired their equipments and personnel to the insurgents to carry out the dirty job. The level of sophistication was so high that the whole villagers believed the Military had a hand in the attack. Only the government can have that kind of equipments. The next day after the attack they confiscated many national dailies in order to keep Nigerians from the truth.”

According to our source, “everybody including the Military knows where Boko Haram’s base is; why can’t the Military go there and fight? What are they waiting for? Many local people are even ready to fight the insurgents and die rescuing their daughters but the Nigerian government has refused to act. Our dead have not been mourned and given befitting burial because the insurgents are still in charge of the place weeks after the massacre. If the government is sincere it must rebuild Attagara; rebuild all the houses and churches that have been destroyed by the insurgents and compensate each family for the wealth they have lost because the Military promised to come to us. Not the lives we have lost because no one can repay that”, he said.

John Ali, another fleeing resident, told BD SUNDAY in Goshe, a village sharing boundary with Attagara that Government (state and federal) have closed ears to the cries of the people and watch Boko Haram massacre citizens in the boundary areas mercilessly.

He said “Help us expose to the world what is going on here. We are fortunate to meet journalist like you courageous enough to come here.  We taught our issue was over. Government should wake up to its responsibility. There should be Military presence in that place; not check points that is stationed somewhere far from the crime scene. Since Borno state is at the moment under State of Emergency, the Military should have a base in Attagara so as to encourage residents who have fled to come back and bury their dead. We don’t know where we belong; Cameroon has refused to accept us, Nigerian governments have refused to come to our rescue”, he said.

One of the residents who dwell in the mountain, Maryaum Yakubu,  told BD SUNDAY that, the fear was that, even if security operatives go to the mountain in the name of rescuing the fleeing residents of Attagara, the villagers are still afraid the Military may end up killing them because many of them still believe strongly it was Military officials who carried out the attack.

“I live in this part of the mountain and I have hid some people who were fleeing. Instead of coming to protect us they may end up killing us again because the people who came to kill hundreds of people in Attagara where in soldiers’ uniform, helmets and vehicles! You cannot distinguish between soldiers and Boko Haram these days. The soldiers can come here, kill and claim we are Boko Haram; but when they see Boko Haram they will run for cover. This is the fear of those still hiding in the mountain now. We don’t trust the Nigerian Military anymore. ECOWAS, AU and UN forces are what we need here”, she said.

NATHANIEL AKHIGBE