Black New Year Day In Garkida

• Lawmaker condemns Boko Haram’s execution

BY AUSTIN AJAYI, YOLA – It was a black New Year day for the families of five men abducted last week by Boko Haram in Garkida town, Gombi Local Government Area of Adamawa State last week as they have been executed by the terrorist group.

The unfortunate incident, which left members of the Garkida community in tears, has drawn condemnation from House of Representatives member, Hon. Abdulrazak Namdas.

In condemning the executions, Namdas described it as “barbaric as no religion support such dastardly act.”

Namdas, who is the chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Army, said during his 52nd birthday celebrations in Yola that the execution is not only cruel but also an act of cowardice by the insurgents.

He said the terrorists’ resolve to attack soft targets and disrupt the relative peace enjoyed by citizens of the community and its environs was evil.

“I’m deeply pained after watching a video of the execution of some members of the Garkida community who were abducted by Boko Haram during a recent attack on the area.

“I condemn the act in strong terms and commiserate with the families of the victims who had to go through the pains and trauma of watching a video of the execution of their loved ones.”

While appreciating the Army for their swift response during the Christmas Eve and Boxing Day attacks, the lawmaker said a lot more needs to be done to nib the ugly trend in the bud.

“I want to again call on the military to step up their game and ensure such dastardly act do not show its ugly face again in any community by ensuring the safety and security of all citizens”, Namdas said.

In consoling the community and entire state over the incident, the lawmaker urged the people to be more vigilant while also providing relevant information on suspicious acts or persons to security agencies.

“Our security agencies are doing their best to tackle this issue of insurgency, but I believe there is room for improvement in their efforts.

“I also want to call on all citizens to play their part by helping the security men with relevant information that will help them curtail such incidents in the future”, he added.

Namdas, while wishing all residents of the State a happy and prosperous New Year, prayed for the return of lasting peace to the entire country.

The Boko Haram terrorists had on the Christmas Eve attacked the border town of Garkida killing six; abducting the five young men and leaving many others injured, with property worth millions of Naira destroyed.

A video emerged on social media last Wednesday, December 30, 2020 showing the execution of five people that the Boko Haram terrorists allegedly abducted from Garkida town.

In the video, the victims were seen kneeling in front of five armed masked men and were shot point blank by the insurgents.