Dazed! Shocked! Hopeless! Were the terms used by TVC journalists to describe the survivors of a massive Boko haram attack on villages along Bama road in Borno as well as an IDP camp in Maiduguri with many feared dead.
Eyewitnesses report that as many as 200 Boko haram foot soldiers invaded Kofa, Abba Malumti, and Gozari, as well as Dalori II Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp, all located close to Maiduguri, the state capital.
The attacks were so brutal that an Islamic Cleric was captured by the insurgents and burned alive alongside four members of his family.
Channels Television and TVC visited some of the villages on Thursday morning and showed live pictures of burnt houses, animals and human remains with the survivors looking dejected having lost everything.
Asides from Kofa, where the village Imam and four members of his family were set ablaze, eight people were killed in Abba Malumti while two others lost their lives at Dalori II IDP camp.
Survivors of the attack said the Imam stubbornly refused to flee when Boko haram attacked the town, choosing to stay behind with his family.
The survivors also reported that many villagers who escaped the attacked are feared to have drowned in the river while fleeing for their lives.
They also reported that the insurgents overpowered the security operatives on ground with sheer numbers and superior firepower.
The Nigeria Army while confirming the attacks however painted a different picture saying its troops successfully repelled the attacks.
In a stamen, the Nigeria Army said only one civilian was found dead after the attack on Kofa village and Dalori IDP camp.
According to the statement, the terrorists gained access to the area through a bush path behind the village and came in four vehicles and some motorcycles.
“Troops of 251 Task Force Battalion successfully foiled a BHT attempted Attack on Kofa Village and Dalori IDP camp in Maiduguri on 31 Oct 18 at about 10pm. The terrorists gained access through a bush path behind the village in 4 vehicles and some motorcycles. They ransacked the market in front of the IDP camp.
On sighting own troops that were mobilized to the area, they set some houses and the market ablaze and fled along Maiduguri-Bama Road. However, one civilian was found dead.
Own troops are presently assisting the villagers who ran into the bush back to their homes while the Borno State Fire Service have contained the inferno.” The statement read.