Terrorists share video showing five Borno captives killed

Boko Haram terrorists have reportedly beheaded five men out of 416 victims abducted from Ngoshe community in Gwoza Local Government Area of Borno State.

In a video obtained by our correspondent on Wednesday through a mediation group, the Borno South Youth Alliance, the terrorist group, Jama’atu Ahlis-Sunna Lidda’awati wal-Jihad, was seen chanting while displaying the bodies of the victims.

The 30-second video was released following an earlier 72-hour ultimatum reportedly issued to the Federal Government.

Recall that on April 20, The PUNCH reported that Boko Haram terrorists released a video daring the Nigerian government to attempt a forceful rescue of 416 abducted victims in Borno State.

They also warned that if their demands were not met within 72 hours, the victims would be moved to undisclosed locations where they might never be seen again.

In a statement made available to The PUNCH on Wednesday, the President of the Borno South Youth Alliance, Samaila Kaigama, said the deceased victims attempted to escape from captivity.

The statement accompanying the video reads: “Borno South Youth Alliance (BOSYA) yesterday, at about 5:18 pm, received a disturbing video showing the execution of about four to five men, both old and young, who reportedly attempted to escape from JAS/Boko Haram captivity.”

Kaigama said the group had explored all possible interventions and humanitarian channels, yet the 416 women, children and a few men in captivity had largely been abandoned to their fate.

“This video is not intended to promote terrorism or any related activity, but rather to expose the painful reality on the ground, a reality we have spent over two months trying to prevent through continuous mediation and humanitarian appeals,” he said.

The group called on well-meaning Nigerians to support efforts toward the rescue of the victims.

“Borno Youth Alliance is calling on well-meaning Southern Borno indigenes, political office holders, political aspirants, and all patriotic Nigerians from the North, South, East and West, as well as international organisations, to urgently support efforts toward the release of the 416 women and children,” he stated.

He added: “Four to five people are already dead. More victims are sick, and some men who attempted to escape have now been killed.”

He stressed that lives are involved and that victims were enduring severe hardship in captivity.

“Please let us come together and donate toward raising N50,000,000 for the release of 50 women and children,” he added.

It will be recalled that on March 4, The PUNCH reported that the group attacked a military base in Ngoshe, burning operational vehicles, dispersing security forces, killing an unspecified number of persons and abducting several others.