Insecurity: Gunmen Kill Nigerian Pastor, 5 Others

YOBE: Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have killed Pastor Luka Levong of the Church of Christ In Nations (COCIN) in Kwari, Geidam Local Government. The attackers also killed five others.

Some residents who evacuated the corpses to the Specialist Hospital Geidam told Journalist that the attackers invaded the community around 2: 00 am on Friday and shot the pastor and his church treasurer Maina Abdullahi.

According to them, the other victims were also killed in their separate houses one after the other before the arrival of the security men, while many houses including one church and vehicles were also set ablaze.

Both the military and the Nigerian Police Force (NPF) are yet to comment on the incident as of now and efforts to speak with them have proved abortive.

Geidam is located 177 kilometers away from Damaturu, the state capital, and is about 40 kilometres away from Nigeria/Niger Republic border.

The incident is coming days after Boko Haram insurgents attacked a community in neighbouring Yobe State, killing 12 persons and injuring two others.

That attack took place in the Gartamawa community of Chibok Local Government Area which is 125 kilometers from Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.

“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”.

At least 40,000 people have been killed and more than two million others displaced since the hardline group launched a rebellion in 2009.

The insurgency has spread into neighbouring Chad, Niger, and Cameroon, prompting a regional military force to be set up to fight the militants.