Seven killed in Nigeria jihadist attack on Christmas Eve

Boko Haram jihadists have killed seven people on Christmas Eve in a raid on a Christian village near the town of Chibok in northeast Nigeria’s Borno state, local militia and residents tell AFP.

Dozens of fighters driving trucks and motorcycles stormed into Kwarangulum yesterday night, shooting fleeing residents and burning homes after looting food supplies.

Boko Haram and its IS-affiliated Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) faction have recently stepped up attacks on military and civilian targets.

“They killed seven people and abducted a teenage girl in the attack,” local vigilante David Bitrus says.

“They took away food stuff and burnt many houses before leaving,” he says, adding that a church was also burnt.

The jihadists are believed to have attacked from Boko Haram’s nearby Sambisa forest enclave, says Chibok community leader Ayuba Alamson who confirms the toll.

— AFP