ISWAP kills 50 in Rann

ISWAP kills 50 in Rann

By: Bodunrin Kayode

Islamic State for West African Province, ISWAP reportedly killed fifty (50) residents of Rann the headquarters of Kalabalge in Borno state northeast Nigeria.

The residents were said to be on a scrap metal scavenging spree when they met their death.

The killings took place Sunday in a surprise move when the ISWAP insurgents carrying rifles and knives rounded up a large group of civilians that were searching for scrap metals to sell as a means of livelihood.

Impeccable sources told NEWSng that the insurgents abducted about 47 of the scavenging residents who were looking for the scrap known as “Ajaokuta ” , a local parlance.

“But shortly after the capture of at least three of the donkey riding scavengers while they were trying to escape, injuring one of them. However, those three were ultimately able to flee the area.

“The insurgents allegedly screened the people, releasing two elderly men, over 60 years old, together with four male teens.

“It was not clear if the one left un slaughtered was taken with some others back to the heart of the Savannah where they came from.” A source told NEWSng

Our Correspondent however, learnt that at about 8pm yesterday, some family members of one of the victims called the phone number of their benefactor who did not return home, but the phone was not picked by the deceased meaning he was dead.  

The operatives identified themselves as Islamic State in West Africa Province (ISWAP) members and threatened to kill any person found around their camps in Mudu.  

Local sources reported that the incident followed a disagreement between the victims and some of the residents of an ISWAP camp. 

According to these sources, the wives and children of some of the operatives accused the group of scavengers of having stolen mattresses, foodstuffs and other valuables from the camp while the combatants were away but their family members were at the site. 

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The residents of the camps had warned the group coming from Rann that they were free to roam the area and scavenge but they had to refrain from taking any item from the camp.

This caused the insurgents to start looking for anyone moving around the area and to finally take revenge by perpetrating the mass killing.

“As I’m speaking to you we buried almost 50 people yesterday in Rann, they were scavenging for scraps while others went to scavenge for firewood to cook their meals.

“It was at this moment that they were surrounded by ISWAP who behaved first in a friendly manner as if they wanted to preach to the residents only to later tie them up and slaughter them one by one in a slow and painful manner like animals.

“I searched for my relative’s corpse painfully yesterday but I didn’t see him, and many others like me went on the search for the bodies of their loved ones with some successfully and others failing.

“We will not stop searching because we are praying to get their bodies so that we can bury them according to Islamic rites instead of leaving them to be eaten up by wild animals or vultures.

“They were tied with ropes and slaughtered; as I’m speaking to you many people weren’t accounted for” said the source.

The military high command could not be reached when contacted to comment on the sad incident.

ISWAP kills 50 in Rann