The dust raised by last week’s attack
on a Borno community by Boko Haram is yet to settle down as residents of the
troubled community alleged that soldiers in pursuit of insurgents raided and
looted their homes.
Boko Haram had attacked Ali Dawari
village, a serene community at the outskirt of Maiduguri, last Wednesday, hours
before the visit of Acting President Yemi Osinbajo visited the area.
The military troops after quelling the
attack reportedly raided the area in search of the remnants of the insurgents
or accomplices.
However, residents of the community who
earlier fled their homes in the wake of the attack but have now returned
alleged that they saw soldiers parking their belonging and foodstuffs in a
military trick.
The residents who took journalists to
the scene of the attack claimed soldiers also set their houses ablaze. In a
letter of complaint addressed to the Chief of Army Staff, Lt. Gen Tukur
Buratai, theatre commander and General Officer Commanding (GOC) 7 Division
Nigerian Army, signed by the village Heads of Dawari led by Bulama Ali and
given to journalists, the community urged military to carry out “full scale
investigation” into the matter.
“We wish to forward our complaints on
the activities and role played by the security operatives in our area after the
attack on our village, Ali Dawari Village that occured on Wednesday 7th June
2017 at 6:00pm.
“When the attack ended, some Security
Personnel under the command of a (army) captain took over the Security and
control of the entire Village, the remaining persons were chased out by the
Security and from there, they embarked on burning of houses and looting of our
properties.
Even as at Sunday 11th June 2017,
houses were still burning. We vividly saw three army trucks loaded with our
food items, personal effects moving out of the village, both during day and
night.
“We urge you to carry out a serious and
full scale investigation and demand compensation of the loss and damages done
to our community,” the Community pleaded to the Authorities,” the community
said.
Reacting to the allegation, Theatre
Commander Operation LAFIYA DOLE, Maj.-Gen. Ibrahim Attahiru, dismissed the
report as untrue. Said he, “No soldier would do such thing.
Our troops are guided by rule id
engagement and they won’t decend to the level of doing what the people are
alleging. On the contrary, the Boko Haram terrorists perpetrated such
atrocities and not our troops,” the commander told said.
By Agusta
Garba
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