At least, 33 wives of Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) fighters were reportedly slaughtered by Boko Haram adherents in Sambisa forest.
The atrocity was perpetrated by Boko Haram to avenge the killing of its Commander, Malam Aboubakar (Munzir) and 15 other fighters who were neutrialised in a deadly clash.
Since December 3, a top Boko Haram leader in charge of Mandara Moutain, Ali Ngulde has led hundreds of fighters armed with weapons from Mandara Mountain to wage war against the ISWAP in Sambisa Forest, Zagazola Makama, a counter insurgency expert in the Lake Chad region reported on Tuesday.
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The attack, according to Makama, began with a failed negotiation initiated by the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’wah wa’l-Jihād (Boko Haram) terrorist group, inviting its rival group the Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP), that they are ready to surrender (mubayi’a) to IS/ISWAP leadership.
According to him, unknown to ISWAP group, Ngulde and his team had staged an ambush against them in which at least 12 of them were killed in Yuwe while others escaped with bullets wounds.
In the aftermath of the encounters, Boko Haram members seized four Hilux trucks mounted with weapons belonging to their rivals and burnt another.
A source said that shortly after the victory, the Boko Haram fighters mobilised more fighters from Abu Ikilima’s camp at Gaizuwa, Gabchari, Mantari and Mallum Masari to attack more ISWAP positions in Ukuba, Arra and Sabil Huda and Farisu, killing about 23 more fighters.
Few hours later, a top ISWAP leader, Ba’ana Chingori, called for a declaration of war and led a column of fighters to carry out reprisal attacks on the Boko Haram in Farisu.
The attack paid off as the ISWAP neutrialized 15 Boko Haram terrorists including a unit Commander, Malam Aboubakar (Munzir) and seized 7 motorcycles from them.
The ISWAP group later retreated and took position at the camp of Izzah. Thereafter, they moved to Garin Abbah, located about 2 kilometers where they pinned down to wait for the Boko Haram.
Instead of confronting the ISWAP rivals, the Boko-Haram elements made a detour to the location of ISWAP wives and killed 33 women.
It is yet to be seen in the coming days how ISWAP fighters will react to the brutal killing of their wives by the Boko Haram elements, according to Makama.
