Residents of Garkida town located along Gombi-Biu-Damaturu road in Adamawa State ran for dear lives following threats of Boko Haram attack on Sunday.
This was after Boko Haram invaded the community on Friday, allegedly operating unchallenged for six to seven hours.
A resident of Garkida, who spoke with the Hausa service of the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), stated that the community people escaped to neighbouring communities on foot, noting that there were no vehicles to convey the high volume of people running away.
“Many have fled on foot. Even if you have the money, there are no vehicles because of the high number of people on the run now. Everybody is scared because the Boko Haram sent a new message that they are coming back,” the unnamed source said.
The Herald learnt that in Friday’s attack on Garkida, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) terror group burnt down a police barracks, a police station, two churches; the Living Faith Church and the Ekklesiyar Yan ’uwa a Nigeria (EYN) also (Church of the Brethren in Nigeria).
Military authorities had commended solders for combating the insurgents in the community and repelling Friday’s attack.
The Public Relations Officer, 23rd Armoured Brigade, Major Haruna Sani, said troops of 232 Battalion of 23 Armoured Brigade under Operation Lafiya Dole, who were deployed to Garkida, killed many insurgents while others escaped.
However, The Punch quoted a resident of the community, Esther Garnvwa, as saying that soldiers did not kill a single insurgent as the terrorists operated unhindered for hours.
Garnvwa, a member of EYN, added, “No single insurgent was killed in Garkida. The insurgents also deliberately didn’t want to kill civilians, only three persons, including a girl, sustained bullet wounds.
Others got injured because they were frightened into running helter-skelter.
According to her, the insurgents invaded the community on Friday evening and did not leave until 3am on Saturday.
“Where is the air force if the ground troops are overwhelmed?” she queried.
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