{"id":8332,"date":"2013-08-14T09:44:43","date_gmt":"2013-08-14T09:44:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/disnaija.com\/nigeria-news\/residents-flee-konduga-borno-after-mosque-slaughter\/"},"modified":"2013-08-14T09:44:43","modified_gmt":"2013-08-14T09:44:43","slug":"residents-flee-konduga-borno-after-mosque-slaughter","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/disnaija.com\/residents-flee-konduga-borno-after-mosque-slaughter\/","title":{"rendered":"Residents flee Konduga, Borno after mosque slaughter"},"content":{"rendered":"
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KONDUGA (AFP)<\/p>\n

Residents fled the northern Nigerian town of Konduga on Tuesday after suspected Islamists disguised as soldiers shot dead dozens of people in a mosque just before morning prayers.<\/p>\n

The massacre in Konduga in the embattled northeastern state of Borno happened early Sunday and has been blamed on the Islamist group Boko Haram, responsible for hundreds of deaths in the region.<\/p>\n

A separate attack late Saturday in Ngom village in the nearby Mafa district left 12 people dead, according to local officials. Details have been slow to emerge amid a phone blackout imposed by the military in the area.<\/p>\n

An AFP reporter saw residents streaming out of Konduga carrying suitcases on Tuesday, as Borno\u2019s Governor Kashim Shettima visited the town with journalists.<\/p>\n

One woman said she was heading with her two daughters to the state capital Maiduguri roughly 30 kilometres (18 miles) away after her husband and son were shot dead in the attack.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey were killed by Boko Haram in the mosque,\u201d she said, requesting anonymity.<\/p>\n

Officials had previously given a death of toll of 44, but local leaders later said that 47 people had been killed.<\/p>\n

Zanna Masu Yale, district head in Konduga, said \u201c43 bodies were counted in the morning, but we discovered four more corpses later,\u201d adding that 36 people had been injured.<\/p>\n

Resident Babagana Bulama said the gunmen arrived in the town early Sunday morning as people were gathering for morning prayers at a mosque in the Tsohuwar Kasuwa area.<\/p>\n

\u201cThey came through the western side of our town in convoy of cars. They were in military camouflage,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n

Boko Haram has previously worn military uniforms while carrying out attacks.<\/p>\n

The attacks at the weekend were believed to be in revenge over citizen vigilante groups forming to help the military battle Boko Haram, which has been waging an insurgency since 2009.<\/p>\n

The violence came as Nigeria\u2019s military pursues an offensive in the country\u2019s northeast aimed at ending the insurgency, with a state of emergency declared in the region in May.<\/p>\n

The military has encouraged the formation of vigilante groups to help authorities locate and arrest members of Boko Haram. Despite showing some successes, many fear the vigilantes will make matters worse.<\/p>\n

Boko Haram\u2019s insurgency has left at least 3,600 people dead since 2009, including killings by the security forces.<\/p>\n

The military has claimed major successes with its offensive, but its version of events is difficult to verify with authorities having cut phone lines in many areas and access to remote locations restricted.<\/p>\n

Boko Haram has claimed to be fighting for the creation of an Islamic state in Africa\u2019s most populous nation and largest oil producer.<\/p>\n

Nigeria\u2019s 160 million population is roughly divided between a mainly Muslim north and predominately Christian south.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<\/div>\n

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Posted in Nigeria News. <\/a>A DisNaija.Com<\/a> network.<\/p>\n

Source: Citizens Platform<\/p>\n

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