Suspected Boko Haram members have attacked Pemi in Chibok Local Government Area of Borno State, killing six people and razing the EYN Church (Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria) also known as Church of the Brethren in Nigeria.
Boko Haram fighters were said to have attacked the area on Christmas eve when most of the villagers were preparing for the celebrations.
The villagers said on Friday morning that no fewer than six cars and five other houses belonging to the church were razed by the insurgents.
According to one of the villagers, “The insurgents came in around 5:30 pm through Gogombi.
“They came in batches of two. The first came in with a motorcycle while the other came in heavy vehicles. As soon as they entered the village, they started shooting sporadically and towards the EYN church.
“Then they set it on fire. They also torched six cars and five other buildings around the church. Some of us ran to the bush, but unfortunately six people were killed in the attack. Christians were to observe Christmas prayers in the church this morning.”
Troops of the Nigerian Army were said to have arrived in the area some hours after the insurgents had left.
“Soldiers from 117 task force battalion in Chibok were mobilised, but they got here around 8pm, probably because of the distance as Pemi is about 17 kilometres away from Chibok,” another source said.
He added that things are now under control as the military is putting in effort to secure the Chibok general area.
Spokesperson of the Nigerian army, Sagir Musa, has yet to respond to SMS message sent to him.
Department of State Services had last Tuesday raised the alarm over plans by terrorists to bomb places of worship during Yuletide.