By Sabiu Abdullahi
Fifteen farmers have been killed in a fresh attack by suspected Boko Haram terrorists in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.
The victims were attacked on Wednesday evening while working on their farms and gathering firewood in Ala and Musune wards.
The Borno State Police Command confirmed the deaths and said it had launched a search for three other farmers whose whereabouts remained unknown.
The command’s Public Relations Officer, Nahum Daso, confirmed the incident to Saturday PUNCH on Friday.
“Yes, there was an attack in Marte. Fifteen people were killed while others are still missing. Efforts are ongoing to determine their whereabouts,” Daso said.
Daso said details of the attack were still limited, adding that the command would release further information as investigations progressed.
However, local sources said 18 farmers were attacked, with 15 bodies recovered from the scene and buried on Thursday according to Islamic rites.
The victims reportedly included young men, married men and elderly residents who had gone into the bush to work on their farms or collect firewood for their households.
A community source said the victims were ambushed by the attackers, tied up and killed at close range.
“They were ambushed by terrorists while carrying out their daily work, bound, forced to lie down, and executed at close range,” the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said.
The source also alleged that some of the victims were decapitated, which made identification difficult.
“So far, we have buried 15 out of the 18; we are currently searching for three persons,” the source added.
Amnesty International condemned the attack and described the killings as a serious violation of international humanitarian law.
In a statement issued on Friday, the organisation said the victims were residents who had entered the surrounding bush to gather firewood for income or household cooking.
“The victims, who were residents venturing into the surrounding bush to gather firewood to earn a living or cook for their families, were ambushed and targeted by a suspected Boko Haram group,” the organisation stated.
Amnesty International urged the Federal Government to take “immediate, transparent, and human rights-compliant measures” to protect communities across the North-East.
The police search for the three missing farmers was still ongoing as of Friday.
