The before and after images of the two neighbouring towns, Baga and
Doron show the devastating effect of the attacks which left over 3,700
structures damaged or completely destroyed. Other nearby towns and
villages were also attacked over this period.
The destruction shown in these images by Amnesty International
matches the horrific stories from eyewitnesses revealing how Boko Haram
militants shot hundreds of civilians in cold blood.
Yanaye Grema, a 38- year-old fisherman narrated to The Guardian that he walked for “ five kilometres (three miles) stepping on dead bodies’’ while escaping from Baga.
He said other villages neighboring Baga were also destroyed and burnt.
Yahaya Takakumi, a 55-year-old farmer, revealed to Premium Times that he managed to flee Baga with one of his wives – but does not know if his four children, his second wife or his elder brother managed to escape.
It said that the images contradicted with the figure given by the
Director of Defence Information, Maj.Gen. Chris Olukolade, where he said
those killed in Baga could not be more than 150.
Rather than addressing the mounting death toll, Nigerian officials initially traded accusations with neighbours Cameroon and Chad, allies it nominally works with against Boko Haram. With some local officials putting casualties at up to 2,000, it took a week before the government gave its first response.
Security analysts believe the targets of last weekend’s attack were the civilian vigilantes helping the military in the counter-insurgency.
Boko Haram began a campaign of terrorism in Nigeria in 2009, attempting to create an Islamic state and to deny Western-style education. Thousands of people have been killed, mostly in northeastern Nigeria since the attacks began.
Before: images show the densely populated village of Doron Baga on January 2 – before the attack/ Photo : Daily Mail
Baga after the attack
Yanaye Grema, a 38- year-old fisherman narrated to The Guardian that he walked for “ five kilometres (three miles) stepping on dead bodies’’ while escaping from Baga.
He said other villages neighboring Baga were also destroyed and burnt.
Yahaya Takakumi, a 55-year-old farmer, revealed to Premium Times that he managed to flee Baga with one of his wives – but does not know if his four children, his second wife or his elder brother managed to escape.
Rather than addressing the mounting death toll, Nigerian officials initially traded accusations with neighbours Cameroon and Chad, allies it nominally works with against Boko Haram. With some local officials putting casualties at up to 2,000, it took a week before the government gave its first response.
Security analysts believe the targets of last weekend’s attack were the civilian vigilantes helping the military in the counter-insurgency.
Boko Haram began a campaign of terrorism in Nigeria in 2009, attempting to create an Islamic state and to deny Western-style education. Thousands of people have been killed, mostly in northeastern Nigeria since the attacks began.
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