No fewer than 13 persons, comprising nine Christian worshipers and four suspected Boko Haram gunmen were reportedly killed in a village in Gwoza local government as gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram and local residents engaged in a life or death battle, eyewitnesses and security officials said. The Christian worshipers were killed during a Sunday service in Antagara village near Gwoza town. The attack came barely 24 hours after the burial of the Emir of Gwoza, Late Idrisa Timta who was assassinated by the gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram on Friday. During the burial three suspected Boko Haram members were nabbed by the local youth vigilante when the gunmen armed with RPG and AK 47 were planning attack on the town at the time the state governor Kashim Shettima and other top dignitaries were busy attending the burial of the assassinated monarch. The Sunday attack on worshipers appeared to be a reprisal attack by Boko Haram gunmen angered by the arrest of their members on Saturday. Witnesses said some armed men stormed a church at Attangara village in Gwoza Local Government and opened fire on worshipers while Sunday service was going on at about 9.30am on Sunday. In anger over the attack on the hapless worshipers the members of community mobilized and went after the gunmen. “The attack occurred in the morning at about 9.30 at EYN Church (Church of Brethren, Nigeria) while the service was going on”, said a fleeing resident called Miss Martha. “Our church has some men as security group. They usually keep vigilance of the church especially when service is going on. As we were holding service, we started hearing gunshots and everybody fled, some through the windows and ran into bush. “Some whose houses are near the church also ran to their houses. Men in the community immediately mobilized and pursued the Boko Haram men. They were more than 10, they came with motorcycles and a car. “Our vigilante killed four of the Boko Haram and arrested three. I later discovered nine of our men in the church security group were shot dead. I left Attangara yesterday afternoon, slept at Gwoza to get to Maiduguri today,” Matha said. A top security personnel who pleads anonymity confirmed the incident, even as the state police command had not issued any statement in respect of the attack.
Posted on: Mon, 02 Jun 2014 23:36:04 +0000
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