Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have killed a senior pastor of the Ekklesiyar Yan’uwa a Nigeria (EYN) and four other residents during an attack on Tarfa community in Biu Local Government Area of Borno State.
The attackers reportedly struck the community around 7:00 p.m. on Thursday, firing sporadically into the air, forcing residents to flee and setting several houses and shops ablaze. Witnesses said the assailants arrived on motorcycles and operated for about two hours, during which there was no resistance from security forces in the area.
An anonymous resident, who said he was a victim of the attack, told reporters that the insurgents moved freely through the community, burning homes, shops and vehicles belonging to residents.
Confirming the incident on Friday in Maiduguri, the Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Borno State chapter, Most Reverend John Bakeni, said no fewer than five people were killed in the attack, including the EYN pastor, identified as Musa Umaru.
“It is true that there was an attack yesterday evening on the village known as Tarfa,” Bakeni said. “I was just informed that five persons were killed, including the EYN pastor, who had lived in the community for over a decade.”
The cleric added that the entire village was largely razed during the attack, with vehicles and other property destroyed.
An eyewitness also confirmed that many residents fled Tarfa following the assault, describing it as devastating. According to the source, houses, shops and a church were set on fire as the attackers stormed the community in large numbers.
Residents appealed to the military and other security agencies to step up protection for communities on the fringes of the Sambisa Forest, warning that they remain under constant threat. One displaced resident said he had already left Tarfa and called on the federal and Borno State governments to urgently intervene to safeguard lives and property in the affected areas.
