LATE BOKO HARAM LEADER.

Boko Haram kills pastor, 5 others in Borno

Notorious fundamentalist group, Boko Haram, marred the Christmas celebrations in Borno State as it struck again killing a pastor and five others.

Two churches were also burnt in the attack as the attackers took advantage of the presence of Christian worshippers who had gathered on Friday for the Xmas eve service to launch an offensive about 7.30p.m.

A group of men suspected to be of the Boko Haram sect reportedly stormed some selected churches including the Victory Baptist Church at Dala-Alamderi and gunned down the resident pastor, Reverend Bulus Marwa, Christopher Balami, a lecturer in the state polytechnic, Maiduguri, Paul Mathew, Philip Luka and a tea seller, Yohana Adamu.

The rampaging men also set ablaze the Church of Christ in Nigeria, Maiduguri branch but only succeeded in killing the security guard.

It was gathered that the men had also attempted to attack other churches but security men engaged them in a shoot out.

For about two hours, residents of Maiduguri were again confounded with the sound of gunshots as the Boko Haram men and the security agencies exchanged fire even as many Christians who had gathered in their various churches for the night service scampered home for safety.

Residents had been inundated with a plan by the sect to attack some churches in the state even as more soldiers were deployed in the state during the week.

Ironically, the state security task force codenamed Operation Flush, a joint patrol of police and army, could not avert the bloody attack 48 hours after it was forewarned.

Governor Ali Modu Sheriff, who visited the burnt Victory Baptist Church on Saturday wondered why the sect could defy all the pre-emptive security arrangement he personally supervised.

The governor said he had ordered that all churches, especially major one,s be manned by armed soldiers and police to avoid the disruption of the Christmas celebration upon the receipt of intelligence report that the Boko Haram men strategically decided to change their modus operandi by attacking churches to give the semblance of religious crisis in the state.

Sheriff expressed sadness over the development, noting that he had informed the security services in the state to ensure they prevent any occurrence of such.

The governor, who also commiserated with the family members of the victims and the church, promised to do everything humanly possible to bring succour to bereaved families.

The Borno State Commissioner of Police, Muhammed Abubakar as well as the Brigade Commander 21 Armoured Brigade, Maiduguri, Brig Ndalema jointly confirmed the governor’s directive, adding that the sect members’ attack on the churches was an inevitable slip in their hands.

A security guard at the Victory Baptist Church, who pleaded anonymity, said he was within the premises of the church about 7:30pm when he heard unusual noise outside the church.

He said he was surprised to see group of men numbering about 30 at the church gate when attempting to find out the cause of the strange noise.

He disclosed that the attackers had forced their way into the church chanting, Allahu akbar (God is great) while they subsequently threw explosives into the church building.

Christians in the state celebrated the Christmas under tight security as combined team of soldiers and riot policemen were stationed around church premises to forestall further breakdown of law and order.