Man who survived attack by rampaging terrorists cries out

.Loses N11.3m worth of wares to suspected insurgents

Andrew Chiugo, a father of two, along with his family, are alive today save for the special grace of God.

Chiugo, his wife and two toddlers, narrowly escaped death recently when his stall was allegedly attacked by suspected thieving members of the dreaded Boko Haram terrorists at a market in Magumeri, in Magumeri Local Government Area of Borno State.

Months after, the terrorists have declared Chiugo and his family wanted as his their lives are no longer safe not only in Borno State, but in the entire country, despite a humiliating attack on his stall.

Looking gaunt and poverty-stricken, Chiugo, 36-year-old from Nenwe, Aninri Local Government Area of Enugu State, who deals in foodstuffs of various kinds, at the market, was among the traders said to have been affected when suspected terrorists swooped on the market. He also claimed to identify four of the terrorists as his customers introduced to him by a resident of the community months before the incident.

Apparently, his identification of some of the terrorists is hunting him now as Chiugo is said to be on the wanted list of the terrorists, who already declared that no part of the North was suitable for him any longer until they sniff life out of him.

In the attack, Chiugo reportedly lost virtually all his wares worth N11.3 million to the thieving terrorists. It was said that other traders in the market also lost their wares in the attack, while about two traders were killed in the attack.

Narrating his ordeal to reporters recently, Chiugo, who used to work as a construction worker before he took to trading, claimed he was the breadwinner of his extended family, begins his gory tale thus: “I have been trading at Magumeri for the past three years without any problem. I used to go the Lagos and the East to buy foodstuffs and sell at the market. I live in Magumeri town.

“Although calls from my people to leave the North on account of incessant attacks on people did not go down well with me because I was comfortable there.

“But sometime in late March 2017, around midday, some members of Boko Haram attacked out market where they looted traders’ shops. I was one of the worst hit in the attack.”

Chiugo claimed that the suspected terrorists stormed the market in trucks and carted away goods from stores including his where he claimed foodstuff items worth N11.3 million were carted away.

He continued: “On that day, my wife and my little children were with me and helping me to sort the new consignment of goods that I just ordered for before the terrorists stormed the market shooting sporadically and at anyone in sight.

“I managed to grab my two kids and fled while my wife also fled to another direction. I only saw her the following evening when she returned home.

“After the attack, I identified the man that used to come to buy things from me with some of the men that attacked
the market and I went to his house to confront him.

“Since that time, my life had been under threat because I told the man called Siraju, that some of the men that he used to bring to my shop to buy market from me were among those that attacked the market. Hence, I had to flee the community to come to Abuja then. They (terrorists) have been railing me and asking people of my whereabouts. They said until I and my family are killed before they stop their chase of us,” Chiugo said.

Asked what he intended to do, Chiugo said though he had since reported the case to law enforcement agents, yet he seeks to flee the country to where he claimed he would be safe with his family.