“I was shot on my left leg, while I was sleeping. When I woke up, I
could not walk and was later taken to the girls hostel where the
insurgents gathered us with the female students. They selected some of
the female students and went away with them, while they left some of us
groaning in pain from gun shot”.
Those were the words of 14-year-old Ibrahim Musa Lampo, a JSS 2
student of Federal Government College, FGC, Bunu Yadi, Yobe State who
was one of the lucky survivors of the Boko Haram massacre on Tuesday,
which claimed the lives of 43 students. The insurgents also burnt the
hostels, classrooms and more than 40 houses during the attack.
Ibrahim who recounted his experience while groaning in pains was
receiving treatment for gunshot injuries at the General Sani Abacha
Specialist Hospital, Damaturu.
His mother, Hajiya Hauwa Lampo, who was sitting beside him on the
hospital bed lamented the inability of government to protect the lives
of the innocent students. The mother passionately appealed to the
Federal Government to “provide adequate security for all unity schools
in Nigeria, particularly in the north eastern region of the country by
constructing a fence that will shield the students from intruders. And
if the government can not deploy adequate security personnel, they
should despatch sniffer dogs into the schools to patrol every nook and
corner and this will go a long way in curbing the insurgency.”
Ibrahim’s father, Mallam Musa Lampo, an immigration officer was still
in shock over the incident and simply said: “I have committed
everything into the hands of God.”
Boko Haram attacks
Thousands of Nigerians from the troubled North eastern states are
fleeing into Niger Republic as the Boko Haram attacks heightens fears in
the region.
A source in the North-East, yesterday, said tens of thousands of
people have gone to Niger Republic to escape a wave of attacks and
bombings by Islamist sect Boko Haram, which is fighting to carve out an
Islamic country from the northern states.
The government in Niamey has granted them refugee status, but United
Nations workers say it has also banned the construction of formal camps,
fearing any structures could encourage an even bigger influx — or even
bring fighters over the border.
“We’re living on the charity and hospitality of locals and aid
organizations,” said 28-year-old Umara. “It’s difficult to feed my
family. We eat once a day, twice at best.”
A spokesman for Niger’s Interior Ministry was not immediately
available for comment. But Hassane Ardo Ido, General-Secretary of Diffa
province, said authorities feared militants might infiltrate the camps
and use them as bases. “We are trying to handle the situation and stop
any act that could hurt our security,” he said.
The United Nations High Commission for Refugees, UNHCR, country
representative in Niger, Karl Steinacker, said Niamey was particularly
worried because most of the refugees came from the Kanuri ethnic group, a
stronghold of Boko Haram.
“The authorities are worried the Nigerian insurgency might spill over into Niger,” he said.
Meanwhile, condemnations have continued to trail the massacre of the students.
May God av mercy on us n stop dis madness killings.
ReplyDeletemay Almight God forgive those boko haram sect,cuz they have ended lives of some future hopes
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