Boko Haram kills 17 people in two attacks in north-eastern Nigeria  

At least 17 people were killed in two simultaneous attacks by Boko Haram jihadists in Borno and Adamawa states, northeast Nigeria, who also burned churches and kidnapped a priest, several witnesses and security sources confirmed to EFE on Saturday.  

"They attack us when we are cooking, that's when they come to kill us, as well as destroy and steal our Christmas food. It's frustrating," Abubakar Umar, a resident of Pemi (Borno), told EFE by telephone. "They continue to kill us for no reason," added Umar, who recalled that the same thing happened last year.  

According to anonymous security sources, the Jihadists broke into trucks and motorbikes from the nearby Sambisa forest, began firing indiscriminately and killed 11 people, in addition to looting houses, burning two churches and kidnapping a priest.  

Almost at the same time, on the afternoon of 24 December, the Jihadists attacked the town of Garkida, in Adamawa state, killing at least six people, including a policeman, local sources confirmed to EFE.  

Furthermore, according to police sources quoted by the local Daily Trust, the attack lasted several hours-despite the presence of military forces in the area-and at least three people were kidnapped after the confrontation. 

In a statement issued on Friday night, the governor of Adamawa, Ahmadu Fintiri, called the event a "cowardly attack" symbolising the desperation of "the Boko Haram terrorists" and promised "serious repercussions" for those responsible.  

Boko Haram was created in 2002 in Maiduguri (capital of the northeastern state of Borno) by the spiritual leader Mohamed Yusuf to denounce the abandonment of the north of the country by the authorities.  

At the time it was practically the only one to carry out attacks against the Nigerian police, as it represented the state, but since Yusuf was shot down by agents in 2009 the group has become more radical.  

Since then, northeast Nigeria has been plunged into a state of violence triggered by Boko Haram, which seeks to impose an Islamic-style state on this country with a Muslim majority in the north and a predominantly Christian one in the south.  

During its campaign of terror, the group has already killed over 27,000 civilians and displaced nearly two million people, according to UN figures.