AT least 14 people have been killed following a deadly attack by Boko Haram insurgents on two rural communities in Hong Local Government Area of Adamawa State, prompting renewed calls for urgent military intervention.
The Chairman of Hong Local Government Area, Usman Inuwa, confirmed the attack on Friday, saying the insurgents struck Mubang and Zar villages during a night raid last week.
Speaking with News Point Nigeria via telephone, Inuwa said the attackers stormed the communities at about 9:00pm, killing 14 residents, injuring two others, and setting several houses ablaze along with food supplies.
“At about 9pm that day, which I cannot vividly recall, Boko Haram invaded Mubang and Zar villages,” the chairman said.
“They killed 14 people, shot two others who are currently receiving treatment in the hospital, and burnt dozens of houses with foodstuffs.”
According to Inuwa, the affected villages are located close to the Sambisa Forest, a known Boko Haram hideout, and are surrounded by vast uninhabited land, making them vulnerable to repeated attacks.
“These villages are near Sambisa Forest, and there are no other settlements in between. It is a vast, empty land, and Boko Haram takes advantage of these ungoverned spaces to attack and kill innocent people,” he explained.
The local government chairman disclosed that security in the area had largely depended on joint patrols by military personnel and local vigilantes, which had previously succeeded in repelling insurgent attacks.
He noted that Boko Haram had attempted to attack the two villages three times in December, but those attempts were foiled by the combined security effort.
“Unfortunately, this time they succeeded,” Inuwa said.
He stressed that the proximity of the communities to Sambisa Forest remained a major security challenge and called on the Federal Government to urgently deploy more troops and conduct air strikes against insurgent positions in the area.
“The closeness of these villages to Sambisa Forest is a big problem,” he said. “The army should be stationed in the area, while the air force carries out air strikes. This is the only way to end the continuous attacks on Mubang and Zar villages.”
Inuwa maintained that only decisive federal intervention could prevent further loss of lives and destruction of property in the affected communities.
Efforts to obtain reactions from other stakeholders were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report. The Adamawa State Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Joe Manzo, did not answer repeated phone calls but later sent a message apologising for being unavailable due to official engagements.
Similarly, the House of Assembly member representing Uba-Gaya State Constituency, which includes Mubang and Zar villages, Adum Alaba, could not be reached for comments.