By Akinsuroju Olubunmi
Yobe village tragedy: 40 lives lost in suspected insurgents attack.
In a tragic incident, suspected insurgents believed to be affiliated with Boko Haram have claimed the lives of approximately 40 individuals in Gurokayeya village, located in the Gaidam Local Government Area of Yobe State. The attacks occurred over two days, with 20 people being fatally shot on Monday, and another 20 losing their lives on Tuesday due to an explosive device, suspected to have been planted by the insurgents.
Residents attribute these killings to the farmers’ inability to pay taxes on their harvest to the insurgents. Eyewitnesses reported that the attackers arrived in the village between 5 pm and 6 pm, assembled the residents, and opened fire, resulting in over 17 immediate casualties on Monday. The subsequent day, 20 more individuals lost their lives when a vehicle, returning from the burial of the initial victims, detonated an explosive believed to have been planted by the insurgents.
Dungus Abdulkarim, the spokesperson for the Yobe State Police Command, confirmed both incidents. He described Gurokayeya village as a known stronghold of Boko Haram, with troops designating the area as a ‘no-go zone’. Abdulkarim explained that these attacks were perceived as reprisals by the suspected insurgents in response to a recent operation by security agents in the Tarmuwa axis, targeting the collection of Jizya, a form of farm produce tax, which the insurgents reportedly enforce during harvest season.
In the wake of the clashes, two insurgents were killed, and four were apprehended, with others managing to escape with injuries. Currently, two severely injured individuals are receiving treatment at the Gaidam Primary Health Care Centre, while two others have been transferred to the Yobe State University Teaching Hospital in Damaturu. This heartbreaking incident underscores the ongoing challenges faced by communities affected by insurgency in the region.