Again, gunmen strike, burn three schools in Borno

At least three schools were yesterday morning confirmed burnt after a midnight blast and shooting by some gunmen and soldiers in Biu, Borno State.

Residents and security sources in Biu, a town 185km away from Maiduguri, the state capital, confirmed to journalists on telephone that the three private schools were attacked during the curfew hours amid several explosions during the night.

Biu residents, who spoke on condition of anonymity, doubted the non-complicity of soldiers in the attack since the troubled town had been in curfew that starts at about 5:30pm.

A source, who spoke in confidence, said the three burnt private schools comprised of Godiya Primary school, Lajada Private school and Standard Private school.

“We were shocked by attack on the schools because the whole of Biu closes at 5:30pm to observe the curfew imposed on the town since the Wednesday robbery attack at Coca Cola mini deport that led to the death of a soldier and three others, the source, who is a local government official, said.

“We cannot but ask the soldiers to explain to us how three schools could be burnt during the curfew hours and none of the culprits was arrested,” lamented the angry official.
A senior security officer in Maiduguri, who cannot be quoted directly as he is not officially assigned to speak to journalists, said the attack was predominantly targeted at schools.

Efforts to get a comment from the Joint Task Force (JTF) failed as the telephone of Lt-Col Sagir Musa, its spokesman, was switched off as at the time filing this report.

Meanwhile, the Kano State Government has initiated measure to tackle crimes in the commercial city of Kano.

The state government has begun registration of commercial tricycles, which is now being used by gunmen to launch attacks on residents.

With the ban on the activities of commercial motorcycles by the state, gunmen have resorted to the use of tricycles to carry out their deadly activities, especially in the outskirts of Kano city.

Disturbed about this development, the government ordered the registration of tricycles as part of the measures to check crime rate in the state, especially the activities of Boko Haram militants.

According to investigations, a few weeks after the registration of tricycles began, most tricycles, especially those owned by foreigners from neighbouring African countries disappeared from the streets due to their inability to meet the stipulated conditions for registration.

However, Chairman of Kano chapter of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Bishop Ransom Bello, yesterday lamented that the renewed violence perpetrated by suspected members of the Boko Haram sect is taking its toll on Christian activities.

Bishop Bello said Christians had stopped attending Sunday services because of the fear of likely attack by the sect members.

The cleric, who is the General Overseer of Calvary Church Assembly, told National Mirror that the church’s activities had been grossly affected since last Monday’s attack on the Kano Central Park in which many people were killed.

He said none of the churches in Kano could boast of 20 per cent attendance of congregation, adding that many worshippers boycotted yesterday’s service.