Villagers in droves fled their homes in Damari, Birnin-Gwari Local Government of Kaduna State on Friday following continuous attacks on the community by terrorists, Saturday PUNCH reports.
The PUNCH had reported that terrorists attacked Damari town of Kazaga Ward, Birnin-Gwari LGA, where three persons were killed while no fewer than 13 of the villagers were abducted between Monday and Tuesday unchallenged.
In the same community, about three weeks ago, a clash between some bandits and a splinter Boko Haram sect – the Ansaru, had left two locals dead while the casualty figures on the sides of the hoodlums could not be ascertained.
Following the withdrawal of the Ansaru terror group, the community had been in continuous attacks from the terrorists who continued to loots property of the community.
This was contained in a statement by the BEPU chairman, Isaq Kasai.
The statement read in part, “Today (Friday), the people of Damari are fleeing en masse following incessant attacks by terrorists that besieged the farming community of Damari on vengeance mission.”
Thugs attack church
Meanwhile, some suspected thugs reportedly invaded a church, St Brigid Catholic Church, ljesha, Surulere, Lagos, and carted away registration machines, disrupting officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission from carrying out the Continuous Voter Registration.
After the attack, the parish priest of the church reportedly locked up the church for safety.
Some persons who had come to register for their PVCs reportedly hid for fear of attack.
A woman in a video making the rounds on social media said the thugs invaded the venue, adding that they would not allow anyone to continue the process.
According to the social media user, who did not identify herself, the thugs threatened that they would only allow the process to continue if they accepted to vote for the thug’s preferred candidate.
However, the Lagos State Police Command has faulted the report, noting that hoodlums did not invade the church to disrupt the process.
In a statement on his Twitter handle, the command’s Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, noted that the INEC officials were assigned to another location and not the church’s premises.