On Wednesday the 6th of January, 2021, gunmen suspected to be Boko Haram insurgents attacked Geidam, a town in Yobe State, making the residents flee.
It was gathered that the members of the community earlier heard the rumor of the attack at about 2pm and the shooting reportedly started around 6pm.
Geidam town, about 180 kilometres from Damaturu, the Yobe state capital, is the town where the headquarter of the Geidam local government area is located.
A resident, who managed to speak with newsmen in a terrified voice said the gunmen were many and houses were set ablaze as residents ran into the bush.
Foot soldiers and air bombardment later came to confront the insurgents.
One source said the town regained normalcy at about 8pm when the insurgents were driven away by the military.
However Yobe State Governor, Mai-Mala Buni has directed the State Emergency Management Agency to provide emergency support and take stock of the level of destruction from the Boko Haram attack on the town.
Buni, while commiserating with the people of Geidam, described the attack as most unfortunate.
He said, “The attack came at a time when there is a general improvement in peace and security across the state.
“The general improvement in security and support provided by the government has given our people the opportunity to gradually resettle and reclaim their means of livelihood.”
“The attack would not deter the government in its efforts to rebuild, reconstruct and rehabilitate communities initially destroyed by the insurgency.”
He commended the people of the state for their resilience and determination to rebuild their lives and move forward.
Buni added that “the government and people of Yobe state would continue to partner with the security agencies for the full return of peace and security across the state.”
