No fewer than fifteen farmers have been killed by Boko Haram terrorists during an attack in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.
Three other farmers were also abducted during the ambush that happened across Ala, Gumna and Musune wards near the headquarters of the area council on Wednesday, according to local sources.
After receiving the report of the horrific attack later on Wednesday evening, locals mobilised and proceeded to the site of the killing to retrieve the bodies. This task was completed on Thursday morning.
Recounting the carnage, a source said, “Five bodies were initially recovered from the field, while others were found later. Three persons are still missing, and sources indicate that they were abducted by the insurgents.”
The public relations officer of the Borno State police command, DSP Kenneth Nahum Daso, confirmed that 15 people lost their lives and that the authorities were actively investigating the situation.
“We are making efforts to determine the whereabouts of the three people still missing,” Daso said.
A relative of one of the victims disclosed that the farmers, who had gone to their farms to harvest crops when they were ambushed, were summarily executed by the terrorists as they were shot in the head at point-blank range.
“They were forced to lie down and shot in the head at close range. It was a gory sight,” she said.
According to the relative, local community members bravely mobilised to search the fields, retrieve the bodies and ensure they were buried according to Islamic rites.
The tragic incident has sparked outrage, with the human rights organisation Amnesty International strongly describing it as a horrific violation of international humanitarian law.
In a statement released on Friday, the organisation expressed deep concern over the escalating violence against vulnerable populations in the North-East, Nigeria.
“Amnesty International strongly condemns the horrific killing of at least 15 people in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State. The victims, who were local residents venturing into the surrounding areas to earn a living or harvest their crops, were ambushed and targeted by a suspected Boko Haram group,” the statement reads.
The rights group emphasised that the deliberate targeting of civilians by non-state armed groups constitutes a war crime.
