MAIDUGURI, Nigeria — Boko Haram militants dressed as soldiers slaughtered at least 200 civilians in three communities in northeastern Nigeria and the military failed to intervene even though it was warned that an attack was imminent, witnesses said Thursday.
A community leader who witnessed the killings Monday said residents of the Gwoza local government district in Borno state had pleaded for the military to send soldiers to protect the area after they heard that militants were about to attack, but help didn’t arrive.
It took a few days for survivors to get word of the massacres to Maiduguri, the provincial capital, because travel on the roads is extremely dangerous and phone connections are poor or nonexistent.
Abubakar Shekau, the man claiming to be the leader of Boko Haram, in a video released March 24Photo: Getty Images