Musdapha Ilo, Maiduguri

A pastor, a teacher and 18 other persons were on Wednesday killed in Shaffa and Shindiffu villages in Hawul local government area of Borno State by suspected members of the proscribed Boko Harm group in two separate attacks.

Ten churches, a clinic and some staff quarters and structures at the Government Girls Secondary School, Shaffa were also destroyed by the attackers.

The attack comes barely a week after the Nigerian army recorded a major victory in the fight against insurgents in the Northeast region, forcing scores of terrorists to voluntarily surrender.

It was gathered that the group launched their attack as early as 8am on Wednesday before invading Shindiffu Village on Thursday.

The slain pastor has been identified by fleeing residents as Eliud Gwamna Mshelizza, of the Living Faith Church while the teacher was a tutor at the Girls Secondary School, Shaffa.

The attacks in Shaffa and Shindiffu villages were confirmed by the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Gideon Jubrin, who spoke to journalists on phone on Thursday.

He, however, said that the remoteness of the location of the attack and communication challenges had prevented him from getting a proper briefing on the attacks, promising newsmen that he would give more details as he gets them.

“Yes there was an attack on some villages of Hawul Local Government Area by suspected members of Boko Haram yesterday (Wednesday) but I am yet to get details due to lack of telecommunication services in the affected areas,” he stated.