Suspected terrorists have attacked Tarfa village in Hawul Local Government Area of Borno State, killing five residents, including a pastor of the Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria church.
The attack, which occurred at about 7 pm on Thursday, threw the community into panic as the assailants reportedly arrived on motorcycles, fired shots indiscriminately and set several houses and shops on fire.
Residents said the gunmen operated for more than an hour, forcing many villagers to flee for safety, while no security operatives were seen at the scene during the raid.
Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Borno State, Most Reverend John Bakeni, said five people lost their lives in the attack, among them the EYN pastor serving the community.
“Truly, there was an attack yesterday evening in a village called Tarfa. I was just informed that five people were killed, including the EYN pastor there. The entire village was burnt down,” Bakeni said.
Eyewitnesses described the incident as devastating, noting that the attackers stormed the area in large numbers and destroyed properties.
“It was a devastating attack. They stormed the community en masse and set houses on fire, including shops,” a resident who spoke on condition of anonymity said.
Another source identified one of the victims as Pastor Evangelist Musa Umoru and appealed to the government to urgently deploy more security personnel to the area, warning that residents remain under threat.
“We are under threat. They killed five people, including Pastor Evangelist Musa Umoru. As I speak, I have left Tarfa. We need government intervention,” the source said.
When contacted, the spokesperson of the Borno State Police Command, ASP Nahum Daso, said the command was yet to receive full details of the incident.
“I will inquire and revert,” he said in a brief message, but had not responded further as of press time.
