Residents and NGO staff in Monguno local government area of Borno State, in the northeast Nigeria, on Sunday said the attack on the town by Boko Haram would have been deadlier than that of Faduma village in Gubio.
They said the situation was saved by the prompt action taken by the Nigerian military with the swift strike by a fighter helicopter.
According to the residents, the insurgents burnt down the UN humanitarian hub to the ground and were targeting other NGO infrastructure.
They also said, the fighters had distributed a letter to locals warning them not to work with the Nigerian government or with international NGOs.
They added that hundreds of civilians were injured in the crossfire, which overwhelmed the local hospital in Monguno.
Africa Daily News also obtained the copy of the translated said letter, which was written in Hausa and translated to English, in which the insurgents gave three objectives on why they are fighting the nearly eleven years battle in the northeast Nigeria.
The letter reads:
“In the name of Allah, the most beneficent, the most merciful.
Message: Pay attention
From
the Islamic State in West Africa Province [ISWAP]
To
All Muslims in areas where the army of idolatry/tyranny (ṭāghūt) has presence
The main objective of our jihad [is]
Upholding the word of God by the way of implementing shari’a on the servants of God in the state of God.
These are our objectives:
– To protect the blood of Muslims, their religion, their wealth and their dignity from all threats that may arise against them, calling on them to avoid polytheism (shirk), to avoid disbelief (kufr) and to avoid oppression in order to turn to the idea of unity of God (tawḥīd), Islam and justice.
Those that we fight:
– We are fighting polytheists (mushrikūn), white Christians Westerners (Hausa: nasara) and other non-believers. We are fighting anybody that is fighting against Islam even if he claims to be a Muslim.
Those that we spare:
– The blood of Muslims, the integrity and the wealth of Muslims. To harm them is forbidden (haram) to us. It is not allowed to harm these three things with the exceptions that Islam has permitted.
Be careful. Don’t allow the army of tyranny/idolatry (tāghūt) to surround/abduct you in the name of protection. Avoid all their locations because those places are our battleground at any time.”
Meanwhile, the Chief of Army Staff, Lt Gen Tukur Yusufu Buratai has congratulated officers and men of the Army Super Camp, Monguno for their resilience and bravery in holding and dealing with the members of the BHT/ISWAP group that attacked Monguno town on 13 June 2020.
A statement released by Col. Sagir Musa, Acting Director, Army Public Relations said the COAS is highly impressed by the high number of casualties inflicted on the insurgents and the number of BHT members and equipment captured or destroyed by the gallant troops with the support of the Air Task Force.
He urged them to remain firm and resolute in containing the threat finally.
“The COAS further charged the Commander OPLD to consistently engage in massive offensive patrols to all identified terrorists’ locations and enclaves within the theatre to ensure the terrorists are denied freedom of action and eliminated.
“The COAS uses this opportunity to assure the troops and people of the North West especially Katsina, Sokoto and Zamfara States that he will soon be there to ensure that the madness of the bandits is put in proper check. He is also impressed with the performance of the troops in the ongoing operations ACCORD and HADARIN DAJI. He urges them to maintain the momentum,” the statement added.
The UN, however, is yet to issue statement regarding the attack in Monguno and the assessment of damage on its hub.\
AFRICA DAILY NEWS, NEW YORK
