A “gruesome” massacre against farmers in northeastern Nigeria killed “tens of people”, the United Nations said late on Sunday, amending an earlier statement putting the death toll at 110.
The killings took place in the early afternoon of Saturday in the village of Koshobe and other rural communities in the Jere local government area near Maiduguri, the capital of the conflict-hit Borno state.
Earlier, reports had suggested that over 43 people/farmers had been killed by the attacks. However, after double checking, its now being reported that over 100 people have died.
“Yesterday about 43 people have been buried but this morning when we asked the community they said, they had additional 33 burials.” Babakura Abba Joto, Information Commissioner Borno state said Monday morning
“Armed men on motorcycles led a brutal attack on civilian men and women who were harvesting their fields,” Edward Kallon, the UN’s humanitarian coordinator in Nigeria, said in the statement.
“Tens of civilians were ruthlessly killed and many others were wounded in this attack,” he added.
“The incident is the most violent direct attack against innocent civilians this year. I call for the perpetrators of this heinous and senseless act to be brought to justice,” Kallon said.
The United Nations on Monday said and maintained that in fact 110 farmers had been killed by suspected Boko Haram insurgents in Zabarmari community, Borno State.
President Mohammadu Buhari (retd.), in response said he had directed the nation’s Armed Forces to take the anti-terrorism fight to the insurgents.
“I condemn the killing of our hard-working farmers by terrorists in Borno state. The entire country is hurt by these senseless killings,” the president said via his spokesman.
Farmers have previously been attacked by militants of the Islamist group Boko Haram, who suspect them of passing on information to the military.
Last month, Boko Haram fighters killed 22 farmers working on irrigation fields in two separate attacks.
The Nigerian government has repeatedly claimed that the Islamist militant groups have been technically defeated but attacks have continued on local communities and on Nigerian soldiers.
Source: Africa News
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