Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have launched a deadly midnight attack on Kirchinga, Madagali Local Government Area of Adamawa State, killing two operatives of the newly established Forest Guards and abducting another.
Kirchinga is the hometown of Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri.
Residents said the attackers stormed the community between 1:00 am and 2:00 am on Tuesday, opening fire on the Forest Guards before escaping with one captive.
Local sources identified the slain operatives as Njidda Maradi and Yuguda Abasaryu, while the abducted guard was taken to an unknown destination.
“They came around 1 am. We called the soldiers, but before they arrived, two Forest Guards had been killed and one taken away,” a resident told SaharaReporters.
Witnesses said frantic distress calls were placed to security agencies, but the attackers fled before any intervention could be mounted.
Some residents alleged that the terrorists had camped near a burial ground behind Maradi Primary School prior to launching the attack.
Another resident claimed that security operatives later cited difficult terrain as the reason for the delayed response.
One of the slain guards, Njidda Maradi, was said to be survived by two wives and eight children, throwing the community into mourning.
Confirming the incident, the Adamawa State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Nguroje, acknowledged that an attack occurred in Kirchinga.
“Yes, I can confirm there was an attack in Kirchinga. One person was killed and another injured,” Nguroje said.
However, residents insist that two Forest Guards were killed and one abducted.