Suspected Boko Haram militants have killed dozens of people in five attacks on Nigerian villages that occurred after the government announced a cease-fire to enable 200 abducted girls to be freed security sources and witnesses said on Saturday.
However the government cast doubt on whether the attacks really were Boko Haram or one of several criminal groups that are exploiting the chaos of the insurgency. A spokesman said talks to free the girls would continue in Chad on Monday.
The fresh attacks dashed hopes for an easing of the northeast’s violence although officials remained confident they can negotiate the release of girls whose abduction by the rebels in the remote northeastern town of Chibok in April caused international shock and outrage.
A presidency and another government source said they were aiming to do this by Tuesday.
Nigeria’s armed forces chief Air Chief Marshal Alex Badeh announced the cease-fire on Friday. On Saturday two senior government sources said it aims to secure the girls’ release as early as Monday or Tuesday although they declined to give further details.
In the first attack suspected insurgents attacked the village of Abadam on Friday night killing at least one person and ransacking homes while another assault on the village of Dzur on Saturday morning left at least eight people dead. Three other attacks in Adamawa state on Saturday killed dozens of people witnesses and a local politician said.
‘I was just boarding a bus when the gunshots started’ Adams Mishelia who was in the adjacent town of Shaffa said of the Dzur attack. ‘People were fleeing into the bush so I got off the bus and headed to the bush too. I later learned they slaughtered eight people.’
On Saturday suspected insurgents also attacked three small towns in a local government area called Michika Adamawa state. ‘Dozens of people are been killed and houses are been burnt by the insurgents so what is the meaning of the cease-fire government is talking about’ said Adamu Kamale a state government lawmaker.