The senator representing Niger East senatorial district, where terrorists stormed a community, Bassa, Alhaji Mohammed Sani Musa, has described the gruesome murder of 20 villagers as barbaric, heartless, and inhuman.
“My heart bleeds for them. This is my darkest moment as the representative of the people of Niger East senatorial district. I am very helpless at the moment. My people, including men, women and children are being killed like animals.
“The question is, what do they want from the people? These are harmless and innocent peasant farmers. Do they want to chase my people away from their lands?
“Only three weeks ago, a group of bandits invaded Kuchi Community, killing seven security agents and went away with about 150 persons. Up till this moment, the entire Kuchi community remains deserted.”
“Most worrisome, these latest attacks are coming when the people are preparing to return to the farm which is their only occupation”, he lamented.
Gunmen numbering over 50, suspected to be members of the Boko Haram, on Thursday invaded Bassa community in Shiroro local government area of Niger State unleashed terror on the people, killing 20 people.
This was just as ten of those killed, all young men were beheaded by the Gunmen..
It was gathered that the Gunmen after beheading the victims, forced members of the community to carry the bodiless heads while they made video skits and took snap shots of the scene.
The suspected Boko Haram members who invaded the community in broad daylight were said to have gathered the people together from where 20 adults were selected and shot at close range.
Our source indicated that ten of the youths who refused to be recruited by the Boko Haram into their fold, were gruesomely beheaded as the people watched helplessly.
“They told us that anybody who refused to be recruited into their fold will be given similar treatment. They said they used the ten beheaded youths as example.
“They said they had warned that everybody should vacate the community but they refused. It’s either we joined them or we vacate the community”, our source stated further.
It could be recalled that two months ago, the Boko Haram sect beheaded nine people in Allawa community in the same Shiroro local government area after they (Boko Haram) successfully dislodged the military from its camp in the community.
The nine victims were said to have defied warnings from the gunmen that no member of the community should come back after they had fled during the attack on the military Camp in the community.
The deceased had gone to the community with their wives to get some food stuff when they were rounded up and beheaded, asking the women to take the message to the people, warning that anybody who ventured to return to the community would suffer similar fate.
No official statement came from the state government or the state police command over this latest massacre.
● Adapted from Newsbite.com.
