Members of the terrorist group, Boko Haram, have killed no fewer than 582 persons and left many others injured in several attacks in the North-East since the appointment of new service chiefs, SUNDAY PUNCH investigation has shown.
These attacks are limited to those reported by the media.
President Goodluck Jonathan sacked the service chiefs and replaced them with new ones on January 16, 2014.
Jonathan elevated erstwhile Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Alex Badeh, to the position of the Chief of Defence Staff.
Badeh replaced Admiral Ola Ibrahim. Maj.-Gen. Kenneth Minimah was named the new Chief of Army Staff to replace Lt.-Gen. Azubike Ihejirika.Rear Admiral Usman Jibrin took over from Vice-Admiral Dele Ezeoba as the Chief of Naval Staff, while Air Vice-Marshal Adesola Amosu replaced Badeh.
In spite of the change of service chiefs, Boko Haram’s attacks intensified.
On January 26, Boko Haram insurgents attacked a Catholic church in Waga Chakawa in Adamawa State and killed 30 worshippers.
The Catholic Bishop of Yola, Mamza Stephen, said, “Some people tried to escape through the windows and the attackers shot at them. They cut peoples’ throats.”
He said the militants set off bombs, before burning houses and taking residents hostage during the four-hour siege.
By the end of January, the sect had killed over 115 people, including the Catholics, in two communities in Borno and Adamawa states.
On February 11, the terrorists killed no fewer than 67 people in Konduga in Borno State.
On February 15, Boko Haram attacked Izghe, Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State and killed at least 146 people.
The sect also killed 43 pupils on February 25, 2014, when it attacked the Federal Government College in Buni Yadi, Yobe State. The insurgents reportedly arrived at the college at about 2am in 11 vans while the pupils were already asleep.
The death toll of that attack rose to 59 by the next day.
Again, the insurgents attacked Mafa Local Government Area of Borno State three times within 24 hours. The attacks took place between March 1 and March 2.
On the night of March 1, 2014, twin bomb blasts left 52 people dead in Maiduguri. While rescue operations were on at the scene of the blasts, another set of Boko Haram insurgents attacked Mainok, a village about 50 kilometres from Maiduguri, killing 39.
On March 2, 35 persons – 32 civilians and 3 suspected policemen – were killed during a fierce gunfight between insurgents and soldiers in Mafa, a community 45 kilometres east of Maiduguri.
It was gathered that the insurgents, armed with AA assault rifles and rocket propelled grenades, also succeeded in setting fire to the camp of the soldiers in the community.
On March 3, Zannah was reported as saying suspected Boko Haram insurgents again attacked on a Borno State community, killing 29 people.
The militants reportedly sent fliers to notify residents of the attack a week earlier.
On March 4, 2014, the violent sect attacked Jakana, a village about 35 kilometres from Maiduguri which shares border with Mainok, where 40 persons were killed.
While taking over as the new CDS at the Defence Headquarters, Abuja on January 20, 2014, Badeh had boasted that the military would bring the insurgency in the country to an end before April this year.
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