The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd,), on Wednesday described as shocking the killings recorded in Gubio village, Borno State.
The state government had confirmed that 81 people were killed in the attack that was carried out on the village on Tuesday afternoon.
Seven persons, including a village head, were also said to have been abducted by the insurgents.
A statement by the President’s Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, described the killings said to have been carried out by Boko Haram/Islam in West Africa Province as one of the most brutal terrorist attacks on innocent people in the North East.
Shehu said the President, who was expecting a detailed briefing by the state governor, Prof Babagana Zulum on the outcome of his visit to the affected communities, said the “primordial nature of the killings is particularly shocking because it happened not long after the Ramadhan and Eid, and the country is preparing to celebrate the Democracy Day.”
In condemning the incident, Buhari charged the armed forces to sustain their “recent string of successes against the terrorists to extract a heavy price from the attackers, and bring back all those they kidnapped as well as the large number of cattle rustled.”
He also expressed condolences of the government and people of Nigeria to the bereaved families, communities and the government and people of the state.
The state governor’s spokesperson, Isa Gusau, confirmed the casualty figure in a statement on Wednesday.
Gusau said the governor had visited the affected area to commiserate with the people.
He said a survivor informed the governor that “81 residents were killed during the attack on Tuesday with 13 persons injured and seven others, including the village head, abducted.
“While sympathising with the people over the attack, Governor Babagana Umara Zulum urged the Nigerian military to undertake a final onslaught that should put an end the insurgents in the shore of the Lake Chad.”
