President Jonathan quiet
more than 48 hours after
soldiers massacred 185
civilians in Borno
Premium Times - 59 mins
ago
NATIONAL, NEWS
By Ola’ Audu
More than 48 hours after
Nigerian soldiers hunting
for Boko Haram insurgents
leveled Baga town in
Borno State, killing 185
civilians and wounding
several others, President
Goodluck Jonathan is yet
to comment on the
tragedy.
The president’s silence is a
sharp contrast with the
way his United States
counterpart, Barack
Obama, acts whenever
even a single American is
killed.
Immediately news of the
Boston bombing, which
killed three and injured
more than 170 reached
him last Monday,
President Obama spoke
up, condole with the
victims and their families,
described the incident as
an act of terrorism and
stressed the
determination of the
American authorities to
bring perpetrators to
book.
But there has been no
word from the Nigerian
government since news of
the massacre broke in the
local and international
press.
Presidential
spokespersons, Reuben
Abati and Doyin Okupe did
not answer or return calls
seeking comments on why
the president is still quiet
about the killings. They
also did not respond to
text messages sent to
them.
The president’s silence has
however sparked outrage
among some Nigerians.
“A competent and sensible
president should have
visited Borno immediately
to see things for himself,”
says Segun Onabanjo, a
sociology lecturer at the
Olabisi Onabanjo
University, Ago Iwoye.
“That he is still holed up
there in Aso Rock, keeping
mum when his troops are
alleged to have
extrajudicially killed 185 is
an indication of how much
this president values the
lives of the people he
governs.”
Olu Akerele, a chieftain of
the opposition Progressive
Peoples Alliance, PPA, said
it is sad that Nigerians
have no one to look up to
for leadership in the face
of this kind of tragedy.
“Our expectation is that
the president would
immediately review the
intelligence he received
from Borno and then take
action to lessen the pains
of the people of the town.
This president has carried
his ineptitude too far,” Mr.
Akerele said. “It is an
indication that even if all
of us are killed, this
president just might not
care.”
At least 185 persons
including women and
children were reportedly
killed by either gunshots
or fire after soldiers of the
Joint Task Force tried to
hunt down Boko Haram
insurgents in the
commercial border town
of Baga in Borno State,
completely burning down
the community in the
process.
Local government officials
who spoke to PREMIUM
TIMES said 185 persons
died, at least 2000 houses,
64 motorcycles and 40
cars were burnt in the
wake of the attack.
The Borno State Governor,
Kashim Shettima, visited
the town on Sunday and
was told by residents that
soldiers were responsible
for the torching of houses
that led to the death of
many.
PREMIUM TIMES gathered
that scores of others are
currently hospitalised with
various shades of burnt
injuries.
Residents said most
casualties especially the
aged ones and children
died as a result of the
conflagration that
engulfed the entire town.
Governor Kashim Shettima
who visited the town on
Sunday became
emotionally drenched at
the sight of charred
houses,vehicles and how
homeless residents took
refuge in the bushes.
The Commander of the
Task Force, Brigadier
General Austin Edokpaye,
explained that the fire
that consumed the town
and resultant deaths
should be blamed on the
Boko Haram terrorists
who opened fire on
soldiers while hiding in
the mix of civilians.
A local trader in Baga told
PREMIUM TIMES that the
attack started at about 8
p.m on Friday and was
continued the next day.
“Only God can understand
what we have done to
deserve this. But the
soldiers were mindless
that night in their
approach; they killed and
burnt our houses, chased
everyone into the bush
including women and
children. So far we have
buried 185 corpses. –
some were burnt beyond
recognition; others are
hospitalised with various
degrees of burnt,” said the
resident who begged to
remain anonymous.
Governor Shettima who
drove through the burnt
town amidst heavy
motorcade of security
personnel condemned the
incident which he said was
a ‘nasty occurrence’.
At the town’s hospital, the
governor had to
commiserate with women,
children and aged men
receiving treatment for
various degrees of burnt
caused by the fire.
Bashir Isa, a grocery
merchant, told PREMIUM
TIMES that “everyone has
been in the bush since
Friday night; we started
returning back to town
because the governor
came to town today.
This is insane.
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