Gwoza: Displaced Residents Remain Stranded On Hilltops

Gwoza: Displaced Residents Remain Stranded On Hilltops

By Blogger 

- August 9,2014 (LEADERSHIP Weekend)

Gwoza Bridge bombed by Boko Haram 

As Boko Haram continues their siege on the entire Gwoza local government headquarters, for about 72 hours now, displaced residents stranded on hilltops continue still lack access to food or water.Some of the displaced residents who speak to relatives in Maiduguri via mobile phones have continued to send out SOS calls for their immediate rescue.Some of them who claimed to have witnessed the massacre of the residents by the Boko Haram said the terrorists killed both adults and children by either slaughtering or shooting them.

LEADERSHIP Weekend was told that the Chief Imam of Gwoza was attacked in his house and slaughtered right before his family members who later took to their heels.The insurgents were also said to have slit the throat of a serving councillor, Hon. Saleh, of Kuranabasa Ward, as well as his three children.A young man, names withheld, who managed to escape Gwoza through Adamawa State, said soldiers and fleeing residents that are still trapped on top of Gwoza hills have no access to food or water, adding that he saw many corpses littering the streets of the town as he fled.Relatives of trapped IDPs said they have been receiving distress calls from their relatives who were complaining of hunger, thirst and fatigue.“I was just called by my younger brother and he told me that they have been feeding on wild fruits usually consumed by birds and that they would spread their clothes to soak up rain so that they can squeeze the water out into their mouths when they become thirsty,” said a Gwoza lady in Maiduguri who identified her self as Hajiya Zarah.Sources within the military said soldiers stationed in Gwoza had to abandon their tanks and fled on Wednesday when the Boko Haram terrorists invaded the town.“The Boko Haram terrorists came and the soldiers fled, abandoning their armoured vehicles which insurgents took and used to wreak havoc on the residents,” said a top security personnel.LEADERSHIP Weekend was also informed that a deployment of soldiers on a special operation in Madagali, Adamawa State, led by a brigadier-general, were forced to retreat when they attempted to reclaim Gwoza , but they were repelled by Boko Haram terrorists who opened fire on them using the seized armoured tanks