Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have killed 17 youths in Gurokayeya village, Geidam LGA of Yobe State, over failure to pay tax.

It was learnt that the insurgents stormed the village around 10pm on Monday, gathered the residents in one place and executed selective killings.

“They selected 21 youths who were between the ages of 20 to 30 and shot them at close range, while young children and the old were spared.

“Seventeen died instantly, while the remaining four were rushed to the hospital in critical conditions,” a security source told our correspondent.

He said the insurgent took the measure after several warnings to the villagers to pay their taxes but to no avail.

“After the heinous act, they handed another stern warning to the villagers on the consequences of tax evasion before they left,” he said.

While confirming the incident, Babagana Aisami Geidam a human rights activist told this paper that 16 corpses had been buried according to Islamic rites.

He said military personnel had been deployed to the affected village.

When contacted, the Assistant Director Public Relations Officer, Operation Lafiya Dole, Captain Muhammad Shehu, confirmed the incident.

He, however, added that the terrorists also alleged that the villagers were given information to the troops who were flushing them out from their hideout.

“They (terrorists) attacked the villagers as revenge for alleging that they are helping us with useful information to flush them out.

“I cannot give you the accurate number of casualties, but all I knew is that military personnel have been deployed and normalcy has been restored,” he said.

Residents in Geidam have complained bitterly over the unchecked activities of the insurgents in the outskirts of the town without taking proper measures.

Last week, the insurgents had attacked a custom house in the heart of Geidam town where they killed an officer attached to the command. (Text, excluding headline: Daily Trust)

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