Boko Haram Attack On Yobe School : You’ll Burn In Hell, Jonathan Tells Sect

Goodluck Jonathan Condemns Boko Haram Attack On Yobe School. You’ll Burn In Hell, President Jonathan Tells Sect.

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday described the killings of over 40 students and a teacher of Government Secondary School in Yobe State by suspected Boko Haram members as wicked, horrific and barbaric, saying any person who targets innocent children as a result of emotional dysfunction will certainly burn in hell.

The gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram sect attacked the Government Secondary School, Mamudo, along Damaturu-Potiskum highway while the students were asleep and started shooting sporadically.

Sympathising with the affected families of victims of the gruesome killings in Mamudo village, five kilometers from Potiskum town, Yobe State, about 3am on Saturday, in the school’s boarding house with most of the victims roasted alive while asleep, Jonathan declared that the war on terror was still very much on and his government would not be undermined by any group or persons.

The president, who spoke through his special adviser on media and publicity, Dr Reuben Abati, insisted that his administration was determined to end the menace of terror in the country, describing terrorists as cowards.

Abati said, “The killing is barbaric, completely wicked. Anybody who will target innocent children for any kind of grief or emotional dysfunction will certainly go to hell. Mr President wants to assure Nigerians that these kind of desperate Nigerians will be flushed out of the system.

“Mr President is committed to the issue of the protection of lives and properties of all Nigerians and he wants to assure that the war against terrorists has been launched and will continue and the Nigerian government is determined to put an end to this menace.

“The president sympathises with the families affected and he stands by them at this moment of grief. The killing is most unfortunate, most regrettable and Mr President wants to assure Nigerians that any attempt by any group to undermine this government will be resisted. “

How sect members invaded our school — Survivor

A survivor of Saturday’s invasion of a secondary school in Yobe State has told the shocking story of how the gunmen carried out the premeditated attack4, leaving no fewer than 30 persons including students, teachers and private security guards dead.

The survivor, Mallam Jibo who worked as chief security of the school, told LEADERSHIP how the gunmen had visited the school on the night before the fateful day and made enquires about the principal.

According to Jibo, the gunmen enquired whether the principal resided in the school, came back the next day and carried out the attack. Jibo said the gunmen numbering over 20 broke themselves into two groups and while one group came from the main entrance of the school, others came in from the rear.

The attackers at the front gate were said to have poured chemical on the padlock which caused it to melt before they pulled down the gate. On entering, they rounded up the private security operatives at the gate and ordered them to lie down on the floor, facing the ground.

Meanwhile, the other group of gunmen were said to have gone to the rear where some vigilance group members mounted watch over the school. The vigilance members were also rounded up and brought to the main entrance where the other security men were lying down.

The gunmen were said to have enquired where the residence of the principal was, where the staff quarters were and the students’ dormitory. For the staff quarters, the gunmen were told that the quarters were outside the school premises.

They were said to have ordered one of the security guards, Haruna Adamu, to take them to the students’ dormitory, and, on getting there, they opened fire on the students, killing over 30 of them. The survivor said Adamu who went with them to the dorm was still missing, expressing fears that he might have been among those killed and burnt beyond recognition.

Jibo said “the gunmen came in early hours of the morning, shortly after the Fajr Prayer (early morning). They had come the previous night and asked if the principal stayed in the school. After they stormed the school premises, they knocked down the gate with a chemical substance and rounded up all the guards. Another set went to the back and rounded up the guards there, tied their hands and three heavily armed men brought them to the main entrance.

“They asked us where the student dormitory was and we showed them, then they dragged one of the guards on the ground and ordered him to follow them. We don’t know what happened but Haruna Adamu who followed them to the dormitory has not been seen since then. We suspect he was among those killed and burnt beyond recognition”.

LEADERSHIP learnt that the teacher killed with the students was Ibrahim Tikau, the school’s IRK teacher and not English as was reported. Another victim, Mallam Isa Malami Ali, a Qur’anic teacher was said to have been killed that night by the gunmen in Mamudo village, about 10km from Potiskum. Ali was said to have survived a similar attack by gunmen two months before he met his death.

Ali’s son, Malam Ahmadu, who survived the attack, said his father was shot while he was saying his prayers.

A classroom teacher who pleaded anonymity lamented that they were now targets of the insurgents’ attacks. He said students were yet to take their examinations for the third term. “Since the attack in Damaturu where six students and three teachers were killed, we and the students have not been able to concentrate for fear that we may be attacked any moment,” he said.

A student, name withheld, who survived the attack with gunshot wounds, however, said that he will still continue with education. This is even as all the students in the boarding secondary school in Potiskum have either run home or been taken away by their parents.

LEADERSHIP learnt that lack of communication network was responsible for the success of the attack as residents and eyewitnesses could not make calls to anyone for help.

A farmer, Malam Haladu, said he counted eight gunmen who carried out the attack.

Enough of these barbaric acts – Mark

Meanwhile, Senate president David Mark has condemned the gruesome murder of 42 students and a teacher at Government Secondary School, Mamudo, near Potiskum in Yobe State, at the weekend by gunmen.

According to Mark, even in war situations children and women are protected. He pleaded with the terrorists to stop this barbaric act

Mark said, “Killing children is akin to cutting down the future of a people. This is inhuman, barbaric and unacceptable to any right-thinking member of the society.

“For no reason, the lives of these promising children were needlessly cut down by the heartless people. This cannot be a way of life. Enough of this bloodshed. “

He said that the perpetrators have committed crime against God and humanity, adding that “ this is barbaric, wicked and condemnable”.

He urged the security operatives to step up their surveillance and monitoring activities to halt the trend and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Mark assured that the National Assembly would continue to give priority attention to appropriation to the security operatives to carry out their duties without hitches .

Yobe 42: Boko Haram has no reason to kill students – Interior minister

Also, the minister of interior, Comrade Abba Moro has stated that nothing can justify the dastardly act of killing the 42 students, taking into account the fact that the federal government has repeatedly extended the olive branch to members of Boko Haram even with the recent setting up of a presidential committee under the headship of the minister of special duties , Mr KabiruTaminuTuraki (SAN), to constructively engage key leaders of the group in a dialogue

The minister, who condemned what he termed as babaric, reprehensive and atrocious killing by Boko Haram, in a statement by his special assistant on media , George Udoh, said, “It is unthinkable that rational minds will just wake up with only one devilish thing in mind: to cause sorrow to families, wreak deep psychological pain on the society for reasons yet to be known by Nigerians.”

Moro, who sympathized with the families of the defenceless students and civilians who lost their lives in the dastardly act, urged Nigerians to continue to imbibe the spirit of brotherhood by exposing the very few who are responsible for the security problems the nation is currently facing , adding that the security agencies are working round the clock to ensure that the perpetrators and their sponsors are brought to book .

JTF to patrol schools in Yobe – Education commissioner

A tearful mother of one of the victims, Binta Muhammad, said the attack is sad and gruesome and described the perpetrators as evil and heartless.

“The worst part of it is that my son’s corpse was burnt beyond recognition; therefore I have called back all my children in other boarding schools back home.

“No more schools for them until I am satisfied the government has put enough security and safety mechanism for them in their schools,” she said.

Speaking to Radio France International (RFI), the commissioner for education, Alhaji Muhammad Lamin, called on the JTF and security outfits in the state to patrol all schools in the state.

“We spoke to the JTF commander about having a patrol team in all our schools especially those on the outskirts of the town and they have agreed to that. Starting from today, all our schools will have a patrol team,” he stated.

Via : LeadershipNG