Defence Headquarters (DHQ)
•10,000 rendered homeless, 2,000 houses torched
•Jonathan orders investigation into carnage
•DHQ confirms 25 insurgents, one soldier dead
One hundred and ninety-one persons were feared dead, 10,000 others rendered homeless while 2,000 houses were destroyed at the weekend in Baga town, Borno State, after what could be termed the most deadly confrontation between Boko Haram and soldiers of Multinational Task Force (MTF) deployed in the area to rein in the sect.
The MTF comprises troops from Nigeria, Cameroun, Niger and Chad. It was set up by the four countries to curb the rise of Islamic insurgency and terrorism in their countries.
Baga is one of the communities in Borno on the border of Nigeria, Niger, Chad and Cameroun. The clash also led to a humanitarian crisis as thousands of residents of the area who had been rendered homeless fled into neighbouring countries and other parts of the state.
The casualties were confirmed by local government officials when they visited Borno State Governor, Alhaji Kashim Shettima. They also said 64 motorcycles and 40 cars were burnt in the wake of the attack.
However, the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) Monday said that the escalation of violence between the MTF and members of the Islamic sect at the weekend resulted in the death of 25 insurgents and one soldier.
In reaction to the mayhem that was unleashed on the community by the soldiers and members of Boko Haram, President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday ordered a full-scale investigation into reports of high civilian casualties in the confrontation.
In addition, Shettima vowed to relocate to Baga if peace was not restored in the area.
Confirming the testimony of local officials, some residents of the town, who spoke to journalists, said six fresh corpses were found in bushes around the town, bringing the death toll to 191 from the initial 185 that the governor was told.
They said the figure could rise further as the people of the town were still combing the entire area and its surroundings for corpses.
The residents complained of the stench oozing from the nearby bushes, indicating that there might still be decomposing corpses lying around.
Some of the residents of the town seen fleeing to Maiduguri, told reporters that they had to leave their abodes for safety as they were not sure whether the hostilities might recur.
One of the fleeing residents, who identified himself simply as Abba, said the town had been deserted with many having to flee into the neighbouring countries of Cameroun, Niger and Chad.
He said he counted himself lucky to have been able to sneak out of the town to Maiduguri to unite with his family, lamenting that many other residents had to flee into neighbouring countries.
The residents alleged that the soldiers were responsible for setting ablaze their homes, which led to several deaths, as well as the injuries sustained by those that were hospitalised.
They said the aged and children died as a result of the conflagration that engulfed the entire town.
A resident of the town said that the attack started at about 8 pm on Friday and raged till Saturday.
The resident, who pleaded anonymity, said: “Only God can understand what we have done to deserve this. But the soldiers were mindless that night in their approach.
“They killed and burnt our houses, chased everyone into the bushes including women and children. So far, we have buried 185 corpses - some were burnt beyond recognition; others are hospitalised with various degrees of burns.”
The governor, who was visibly agitated at the sight of charred bodies, houses, vehicles and the homeless residents, was briefed by the Commander of the Multinational Forces, Brig-Gen. Austin Edokpayi, who said that the conflagration that consumed the town and resultant deaths should be blamed on Boko Haram members who opened fire on soldiers while hiding in the midst of residents of the town.
Edokpaye refuted the residents’ allegations that the shoot-out was unprovoked. He said: “We lost an officer during the attack on our men on patrol.
“We had received intelligence that some suspected Boko Haram members usually pray and hide arms at a particular mosque in the town. It was around that mosque where our men were attacked with several of them injured and an officer died.
“When we reinforced and returned to the scene, the terrorists came out with heavy firepower including rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) which usually have a conflagration effect.”
The governor after assessing the situation pleaded with the fleeing residents to return to their homes as a committee had been empanelled to provide compensation for the losses they had suffered.
He also called on the commander to “take full charge” of his operation and ensure he personally supervises his field officers from time-to-time in order to avert similar nasty incidents in the future.
He also ordered the immediate reconstruction of houses destroyed in the clash between the soldiers and the Boko Haram sect to make way for the return of homeless residents of Baga town.
The governor, who in a statement issued Monday by his Special Adviser, Media and Communication, Alhaji Isa Gusau, further described the incident as very unfortunate, decried the barbaric destruction of lives and properties.
He ordered the immediate release of relief materials including food items and clothes.
He also directed the state’s Ministry of Works to immediately mobilise to Baga town to start the reconstruction of houses which were destroyed, even before a committee he set up yesterday was expected to investigate and submit a report on the cause of the clash, take records of all those killed or injured, and take stock of all houses destroyed and recommend compensation.
In the statement, the governor claimed that the number of persons killed as well as houses destroyed had not been accurately ascertained by any competent authority and government was awaiting the report of its committee or any reliable source to verify accurate figures.
He warned the media to desist from reeling out figures, and criticised the report in the press that 185 persons were killed and 2,000 houses destroyed.
He said it was unfortunate that news stories were based solely on accounts by some residents in Baga, who spoke with the governor during his visit, adding that the stories were written without any independent verification for accuracy and with no form of investigation whatsoever.
He said regardless of the number of persons affected, the incident was gruesome and highly condemnable since the life of a single human being was as important as the lives of thousands.
Having received preliminary briefings from the military high command on the incident, Jonathan also ordered a full-scale investigation into reports of high civilian casualties in the confrontation between the soldiers and insurgents at Baga.
In a statement issued by his Special Adviser, Media and Publicity, Dr. Reuben Abati, the president's spokesman said while preliminary briefings indicated that the casualty figures being reported by the media might have been grossly exaggerated, "the president assures Nigerians and the global community that the Federal Government of Nigeria places the highest possible value on the lives of all citizens of the country and that his administration will continue to do everything possible to avoid the killing or injuring of innocent bystanders in security operations against terrorists and insurgents."
The statement added: "The rules of engagement for the military and security agencies are already in place for this purpose and the investigation ordered by President Jonathan into the incident in Baga is to amongst other things, determine whether or not these rules were fully complied with.
"The president has also ordered the National Emergency Management Authority (NEMA) and federal health agencies to liaise with the Borno State Government and take urgent steps to provide immediate relief and medical support for all who suffered losses and injury in the fighting at Baga."
According to the statement, "The president commiserates with all those who regrettably lost their lives in the fighting, including the soldiers who gallantly made the supreme sacrifice in the operation against terrorism, insurgency and insecurity in Nigeria.
"The president is deeply pained by the continuance of these needless deaths and will continue to do all within his powers to achieve lasting peace, security and stability in all parts of the country.
"It is his hope and expectation that the national committee which he will inaugurate on Wednesday for dialogue and the peaceful resolution of security challenges in the north will contribute significantly to ending the continuous loss of lives to wasteful violence."
Meanwhile, the clash between the soldiers and members of the sect has drawn criticism from a former governor of Borno State and senator representing Borno North, Alhaji Maina Ma'aji Lawan, who described it as a drawback for the amnesty plan of the federal government.
He said the killing must be treated as a matter-of-urgent national importance so that the perpetrators could be brought to book in the shortest possible time.
Speaking to a section of the press, Lawan said: “It is rather unfortunate and regrettable that this huge number of people were killed. I was informed by my constituents that 172 people, mostly innocent civilians, were killed during the clash.
“This is highly disturbing and definitely sour grapes especially when the federal government has shown some level of commitment to resolve the crisis with the setting up of an amnesty committee.”
He said though the soldiers claimed they were provoked, as professionals, he noted, they should have exercised some restraint by reacting in a way that would not have caused the magnitude of loss of lives and property.
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