Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have killed Pastor Luka Levong of the Church of Christ In Nations (COCIN) in Kwari, Geidam Local Government Area of Yobe state. The attackers also killed five others.
Residents who transported the deceased to the Specialist Hospital in Geidam informed Channels Television that the assailants attacked the community around 2:00 am on Friday. They shot Pastor Luka Levong and the church treasurer, Maina Abdullahi.
The other victims were reportedly killed in their individual residences one after the other before the arrival of security forces. Additionally, numerous houses, a church, and vehicles were set ablaze during the attack.
As of now, both the military and the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) have not issued any comments on the incident, and attempts to reach out to them have been unsuccessful.
Geidam is situated 177 kilometers away from Damaturu, the state capital, and is approximately 40 kilometers from the Nigeria/Niger Republic border.
This incident occurred just days after Boko Haram insurgents attacked a community in the neighboring Yobe State, resulting in the death of 12 individuals and injuries to two others.
The attack took place in the Gartamawa community of Chibok Local Government Area, situated 125 kilometers from Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State.
“The terrorists stormed the community of Gatamarwa around 5 pm on Monday during the New Year celebration heavily armed with AK-47 rifles, came on motorcycles and Hilux vans, and opened fire on mourners returning from Gatamarwa.
“They later attacked another Tsiha community near Shikarkir and killed three people and abducted a young lady burning houses and looting their foodstuffs,” a source told Channels Television.
Since the hardline group initiated a rebellion in 2009, over 40,000 individuals have lost their lives, and more than two million others have been forced to flee.
The insurgency has extended into neighboring Chad, Niger, and Cameroon, leading to the establishment of a regional military force to combat the militants.