Nigeria: deadly Jihadist raid claims 81 lives in Mafa village

At least 81 people were killed in a brutal attack by suspected Boko Haram militants in the northeastern Nigerian village of Mafa, local authorities confirmed.

The assault, which occurred on Sunday around 16:00 local time, involved approximately 150 armed assailants on motorbikes who stormed the village with rifles and grenades, according to Yobe State Police.

“We believe this attack was in retaliation for the killing of two Boko Haram terrorists by local self-defence groups,” said Abdulkarim Dungus, spokesperson for the Yobe State Police.

The attackers accused Mafa residents of aiding the military in operations against Boko Haram.

“At least 81 people have been killed,” added Bulama Jalaluddeen, a spokesperson for the chairman of the local government in Tarmuwa, which includes Mafa.

The militants set fire to homes, many of which were thatched-roof dwellings, and burned alive those seeking shelter inside, reported a local government official from Tarmuwa, who spoke on condition of anonymity.

Following the attack, 34 bodies were buried in Babbangida, the administrative seat of Tarmuwa, while thirty more remain in Mafa.

“Fifteen bodies had already been buried by their families when soldiers arrived in Mafa to evacuate the victims.

An undetermined number of other victims from neighbouring villages were also buried by relatives before the soldiers’ arrival,” Jalaluddeen noted.

Although an official death toll has yet to be released by the police, the Boko Haram militants are believed to have killed “many people and set fire to numerous shops and homes,” said the police spokesperson.

Villages in Yobe State, predominantly inhabited by farmers and herders, frequently fall victim to raids and extortion by Boko Haram and its rival faction, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP).

In recent years, these jihadists have intensified their attacks on farmers, loggers, herders, and fishermen, accusing them of collaborating with the military and local militias.

In late October 2023, after receiving threats from jihadists, local police, with the assistance of villagers, killed several militants near Kayayya village.

In response, jihadists killed 37 people across two villages in Yobe State, including 20 mourners returning from funerals for victims of previous attacks.

Nigeria has been battling a jihadist insurgency in its northern region for over 14 years, which has claimed more than 40,000 lives and displaced over 2 million people.

Despite losing ground, Boko Haram and ISWAP continue to launch deadly assaults on rural communities.

Nigeria, Africa’s most populous nation with over 220 million residents, is grappling with multiple security challenges, including powerful criminal gangs, intercommunal conflicts, and separatist tensions.