The Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), formerly known as Jam’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihd, an Islamic State-backed Boko Haram group, invaded Geidam community in Yobe state on Wednesday night.
Geidam, the home of Inspector General of Police Usman Alkali-Baba, is 177 kilometers from Damaturu, the state capital, and shares a border with the Niger Republic and Damasak.
Witnesses and security officials reported nine locals were slain, and the village’s Government Technical Secondary School was destroyed.
The insurgents reportedly arrived on foot around 9 p.m. and proceeded to a drinking establishment in Kwari ward, where they slaughtered the victims and injured two others.
“They came into the community unawares as there was no gun battle, executed their mission and left,” a resident said.
Since the death of JAS leader, Abubakar Shekau, ISWAP has been consolidating its grip in the North East.
The sect’s membership has swollen with the defection of hundreds of Boko Haram fighters under Shekau.
The Nigerian army has repeatedly claimed that the insurgency had been largely defeated and frequently underplays any losses.
The terror group has caused the death of tens of thousands of people and displaced millions of individuals mainly in Adamawa, Borno, and Yobe states.
It has also increasingly targeted farmers in their violence.
They accused them of spying and passing information to the military and the local militia fighting them.
