Suspected Islamic militants slaughter Nigeria wedding party

More than 30 killed in attack on wedding convoy in
Boko Haram stronghold

This picture taken on June 6, 2012 shows a veiled woman
standing at the market in Maiduguri, capital of Borno
state. Gunmen have attacked a wedding convoy in
Nigeria's northeastern state of Borno, killing more than 30
people including the groom in a suspected ambush.
Photo: AFP/Getty Images
By AP
8:56PM GMT 03 Nov 2013
Suspected Islamic militants attacked a wedding convoy in
northeast Nigeria and killed more than 30 people including
the groom, a state government spokesman said Sunday.
Military spokesman Lt. Col. Muhammed Dole said only five
people were killed in Saturday's attack on the highway
between Gama and Gwoza towns in Borno state. That
road runs alongside forests that are a known hideout of
Islamic militants of the Boko Haram terrorist network.
But a minibus taxi driver said he passed many bodies on
the road near Firgi village, where the wedding ceremony
took place Saturday.
"We saw a lot of dead bodies killed by gunshots and some
by the roadside that appeared to have been slaughtered"
with their throats slit, the driver, who asked to be
identified only as Shaibu, told reporters Sunday in
Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state.
Shaibu said his terrified passengers wanted to turn back,
but "I took the risk ... and said God is in control."

Adamawa state spokesman Ahmad Sajoh said the wedding
fatiha, the official Muslim ceremony, had taken place in
Firgi village in neighboring Borno state and the groom and
guests were driving home to Adamawa when they were
attacked.
Last week, suspected extremists attacked a military
checkpoint in the same area and witnesses said they killed
at least four security force members and made off with
army vehicles, weapons and ammunition.
Attacks continue in northeast Nigeria more than five
months after the government declared a state of
emergency and flooded three states that cover one-sixth
of the country with troops and police officers.
They have driven the insurgents from major towns and
attacked bush camps aerial bombardments and ground
assaults. Hundreds of combatants and civilians, mainly
Muslims, have died in recent weeks.
The uprising aimed at installing an Islamic state poses the
greatest threat in decades to the cohesion of Nigeria,
which is Africa's biggest oil producer and most populous
nation of more than 160 million people divided almost
equally between the mainly Muslim north and
predominantly Christian south.