Satellite Images: Boko Haram Razes 3,100 Structures In Baga Massacre, Killing Hundreds

New satellite photographs have laid bare the catastrophic scale of the latest Boko Haram atrocities, which are thought to have left hundreds of people dead and thousands of houses burnt or razed in two Nigerian towns. The militant group attacked the neighbouring towns of Baga and Doron Baga on 3 January, murdering scores of people and laying waste to their homes. Although initial local estimates put the death toll at 2,000, the Nigerian military has since dismissed the figure, saying about 150 people were killed. The satellite images, released by Amnesty International, show the aftermath of the attacks, contrasting pictures taken on 2 January with others taken on 7 January.

The before-and-after photographs of Doron Baga, which lies 2.5km from Baga, reveal the ferocity of the onslaught, with more than 3,100 structures damaged or destroyed by fire. Many of the wooden fishing boats that dotted the shoreline on 2 January are no longer visible five days later, when people had fled by boat in panic across Lake Chad. In Baga, a densely populated town less than two square kilometres in size, about 620 structures were either damaged or completely destroyed by fire.

Daniel Eyre, Nigeria researcher for Amnesty International, described the Boko Haram assault as “the largest and most destructive” the organisation had analysed. “It represents a deliberate attack on civilians whose homes, clinics and schools are now burnt-out ruins,” he said. “Up until now, the isolation of the Baga combined with the fact that Boko Haram remains in control of the area has meant that it has been very difficult to verify what happened there.” While residents had not yet been able to count or bury their dead, said Eyre, the satellite images had served to chronicle the effects of what was probably “Boko Haram’s deadliest attack ever”.

He added: “This week, Nigeria’s director of defence information stated that the number of people killed in Baga including Boko Haram fighters ‘has so far not exceeded about 150’. These images, together with the stories of those who survived the attack, suggest that the final death toll could be much higher than this figure.” The Nigerian military, which has described Amnesty’s characterisation of the attack as “quite valid”, said events in Baga clearly demonstrated what Boko Haram is capable of. “The attack on the town by the blood hounds and their activities since 3 January 2015 should convince well-meaning people all over the world that Boko Haram is the evil all must collaborate to end rather than vilifying those working to check them,” it said in a statement.

Source: TheGuardian.Com

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Deji Sadiq, a.k.a DEJI OF LAGOS is a LASU trained Economist turned freelance journalist, a Blogger, an information strategist, a public affairs analyst and a committed activist with a passion for equal opportunities.