Boko Haram attack: Children burned alive in Nigeria

A mother sits mourning her husband after Boko Haram attacks at Dalori village on the outskirts of Maiduguri in northeastern Nigeria on January 31, 2016.

Some 86 people died after Boko Haram fighters arrived in the village, initially shooting at locals from their cars before setting fire to huts with people inside.

The insurgents were also said to have attempted to penetrate Dalori IDP camp that houses about 25,000 people, but were resisted by troops.

“We had just finished evening prayers when the gunmen came to our village and indiscriminately opened fire and set fire to homes”, Sheriff said.

Anka also said three female suicide bombers “were intercepted then blew themselves up”, during the attack.

As people fled toward a nearby village, three women in suicide vests tried to make their way into a crowd, the military official said. We could hear soldiers battling with the Boko Haram attackers.

Survivor Alamin Bakura told the Associated Press that several of his family members were killed or wounded in the attack, which lasted for almost four hours. The group was beaten back from territories it held early past year but continues to carry out suicide bombings and hit-and-run attacks on soft targets such as markets and bus terminals.

Mohammed Kanar, the area coordinator of Nigeria’s National Emergency Management Agency, said 86 bodies, many of them charred and riddled with bullets, were collected by Sunday afternoon. Dr. Mshelia informed him that the death count was now at 85 dead and that between 65-70 wounded were brought to State specialist Hospital, and a further ten were at the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital. Nigerian army troops arrived, but they were outmanned and outgunned by the terrorists.

Attacks have continued in the region despite claims by President Muhammadu Buhari late a year ago that Nigeria had “technically” won the war against the terror group. “I am truly troubled”, Mr. Zannah said.

Boko Haram, which seeks a hardline Islamic state in northern Nigeria, has killed some 17,000 people and forced more than 2.6 million others to flee their homes since 2009.