- Atleast 185 died in bloody clashes between military, Islamic insurgents
- Bandits attacked four Zamfara villages, killed more than 30 people
- Gunmen attacked Nigeria oil tanker, abducted two
According to Julian Barnes, history is that certainty produced at the point where the imperfections of memory meet the inadequacies of documentation.
WITHIN NIGERIA highlights three events that occurred on April 21 in the history of this country, Nigeria and shaped this particular day in an effort to increase the level of awareness and historical alertness of our esteemed readers.
Atleast 185 died in bloody clashes between military, Islamic insurgents
On this day, April 21 in 2013, atleast 185 people were killed as a result of fighting between the military and Islamic insurgents in the country’s northeast.
According to reports, insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades and soldiers spray machine-gun fire into neighborhoods filled with civilians.
The fighting in Baga began Friday and lasted for hours, sending people fleeing into the arid scrublands surrounding the community on Lake Chad. By Sunday, when government officials finally felt safe enough to see the destruction, homes, businesses and vehicles were burned throughout the area.
The assault marks a significant escalation in the long-running insurgency Nigeria faces in its predominantly Muslim north, with Boko Haram extremists mounting a coordinated assault on soldiers using military-grade weaponry. The killings also mark one of the deadliest incidents ever involving Boko Haram.
Authorities had found and buried at least 185 bodies as of Sunday afternoon, said Lawan Kole, a local government official in Baga. He spoke haltingly to Borno state Gov. Kashim Shettima in the Kanuri language of Nigeria’s northeast, surrounded by still-frightened villagers.
Officials could not offer a breakdown of civilian casualties versus those of soldiers and extremist fighters. Many of the bodies had been burned beyond recognition in fires that razed whole sections of the town, residents said. Those killed were buried as soon as possible, following local Muslim tradition (Credit: France24.com)
Bandits attacked four Zamfara villages, killed more than 30 people
On this day, April 21 in 2021, gunmen suspected to be armed bandits invaded four Zamfara villages and killed more than 30 people.
According to report, the attacks were carried out simultaneously, occurred on Tuesday in two Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.
Villages attacked by bandits were Gobirawa, Rini, Gora, and Madoti Dankule in Bakura and Maradun LGAs in the state located in the north-western region of the country.
Witnesses said the assailants, who came on motorcycles in a large number, stormed the villages and began to fire sporadic gunshots.
This led to the loss of lives and several others were injured, while houses and other valuables of the villagers were razed.
Gunmen attacked Nigeria oil tanker, abducted two
On this day, April 21 in 2009, gunmen attacked an oil tanker off the coast of the Niger Delta, kidnapping the ship’s captain and an engineer.
According to private security sources, the Turkish vessel Ilena Mercan, chartered by French oil company Total TOTF.PA, was attacked on its way to Onne port in Nigeria’s southeastern Rivers state.
Nigeria’s coastal waters are among the world’s most dangerous for piracy, second only to Somalia, according to the International Maritime Bureau.
“Two people from the tanker were taken. It is still on its way to Onne,” said one security source.
The nationalities of the two people kidnapped were not yet known but the Turkish state-run Anatolian news agency reported Turkey’s Foreign Ministry was taking steps to free the hostages. (Credits: Reuters)
