Shehu of Bama Reveals More Shocking Details of Boko Haram Raid

The Shehu of Bama, Alhaji Kyari Ibn Ibrahim El-Kanemi, revealed some shocking details of the raid conducted by suspected Boko Haram sect members in the early hours of February 19, 2014, Wednesday.

The Shehu of the ancient town, who took the journalists round the places destroyed, also said the people of his emirate had lost confidence in the Federal Government, as the violence in the area was endless. For instance, by February 20, 2014, Thursday, the death toll of the assault increased to 98 people.

“To be frank, the morale and confidence of the people from the President up to the local government chairman up to the traditional ruler is nil.

“This government is not protecting anything, I have no reservation in telling this. It is a constitutional responsibility which they should be alive to and the irony of it is that the type of things happening in the northern part of the country if it were in the southern or any other part the government of Nigeria cannot survive,” El-Kanemi lamented.

He said the soldiers are incapacitated, which is the reason why they have not been able to flush out the insurgents.

The Shehu further narrated how the alleged Boko Haram fighters invaded the town.

“One of my aides called me that somebody from Goni Konori called him and told him that he saw many vehicles and motorcycles passing their village towards Bama.

“Immediately I called one captain at the college side and he confirmed to me that two civilian JTF called him also. I called the army barracks to inform the officer in charge, not more than 30 minutes after we spoke I tried to reach out to the commander but I could not reach him, so also the GOC, I could not get them on phone.

“After 30 minutes somebody in the town also called me saying there was a fire at the state low cost, then suddenly we heard gunshots, grenade and rockets.

“People were running, they told me that the palace was surrounded by women and children struggling to enter. When the insurgents came, they told the women and children to leave thereafter they tried opening the door and used rockets to force it open,” the Shehu of Bama recounted.

According to him, the assailants wanted to set the main building ablaze, but they failed. Then they switched to setting other building on fire.

The Shehu said the insurgents were in control of the town from 4.30 a.m. to, approximately, midday. Gunshots rented the air until around 12 o’clock, before a helicopter came. But the attackers were not afraid of it and even tried to shoot it.

According to DailyTrust, the town market and the motor park were completely razed down by the insurgents. A total of 116 commercial vehicles were burnt.

The Chief Nursing Officer of the Bama general hospital, Emit Mohammed Shuwa, said that 200 people were brought to the hospital on the day of the attack.

According to him, 48 of them with gunshots injuries were admitted, while 7 of them with serious cases were transferred to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital and 9 to the state general hospital.17 patients died while on admission.

The Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, who led state government delegation to the troubled town, said that Governor Shettima had approved N100 million for the reconstruction of the burnt property. 
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