By Usman Jubril
MAIDUGURI (BORNO STATE) – It was a day of unforgettable horrors and tears according to sources as suspected members of the dreaded Boko Haram sect Killed 25 residents of Damboa Village, Maiduguri, the Borno State Capital.
The gory incident which occurred on December 1, 2014 have left no fewer than five persons missing including the thrio of Richard Goddey, Isa Mohammed and Jubril Kazeem.
Speaking with newsmen after the insurgents’ attack, a farmer in the community who escaped death by whiskers, Alhaji Ali Momodu, said the Boko Haram numbering about 50 invaded the village and wrecked untold havoc.
“As I am talking to you know, I don’t know if my worker, Richard Goddey is still alive or not as I managed to escape from been killed by the Boko Haram”.
He narrated that he met the yet-to-be-seen Richard at Borno Central Park in Maiduguri and decided to have compassion on him especially having listened to his political ordeal in Warri, Delta state by offering Richard menial job in his farm.
He disclosed that Richard was seeking refuge in Maiduguri following Political crisis that consumed three persons including a Ward Treasurer of his Democratic Peoples Party (DPP), Mr. Onos Matthew as well as the razing of Richard’s house in Agbarha town by suspected PDP thugs.
It was gathered further that thugs suspectedly hired by the rulings Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the April 26, 2011 Governorship Election in Delta State violently attacked members of the opposition DPP which Richard was stunch member of with the intent to rigged the election in favour of PDP.
The attack according to our source led to the killings of DPP Ward Treasurer, Mr. Onos Matthew, and two others.
Disclosing further, the source stated that angered by Richard’s stiff resistance in allowing them to have their ways at the voting centres, the arned thugs later went to Richard’s house to wreck havoc before setting it ablaze.
“Richard who was not at home unknowingly walked into the hoodlums who inflicted injuries on him. He was rushed to a nearby clinic for medical attention and three days after, Richard escaped from the clinic over fear of further attack especially as strange faces were seeing in the premises of the clinic.
The armed thugs have vowed to eliminate Richard Goddey whenever/wherever he his seeing, just as the hoodlums have threatened to spread their dragnets across the country and beyond in search of Richard.
Attempts to get comment from spokesperson for the Delta State Police Command, DSP Ejiro Ibrudje proved abortive as calls put to his phone were not answered and text messages sent were not replied to as at the time of filing this report.
