Rita Odafe
Reports indicate that 40 farmers have tragically lost their lives following an attack by Boko Haram/Islamic State of West African Province (ISWAP) militants in Dumba, located in the Kukawa local government area of Borno State.
According to local sources, the attacks occurred around 3pm on January 12, with the militants arriving armed and forcibly gathering the farmers.
A farmer who managed to escape detailed the harrowing encounter, stating that the attackers informed them of the continued prohibition on farming activities. They ominously declared that any farmers found in the fields would be killed.
“We are the ones engaged in farming at Dumba. Today the militants confronted us in the fields. They forced us to leave our work and reiterated the ban on farming, threatening death to any who remained,” they reported.
“Many of our fellow farmers were killed. It was only later that night we managed to reach soldiers and members of the Civilian Joint Taskforce (CJTF) who assisted in relocating us to safety. I counted approximately 40 bodies; others who were shot or fled could not be accounted for,” the survivor recounted.
A CJTF member, who wished to remain anonymous, affirmed that such attacks have become a frequent occurrence, often resulting in the deaths of several farmers. These incidents usually go unreported, but the recent spike in violence has compelled them to share the struggles faced by farmers and fishermen in the Kukawa area.
“The incident occurred around 3pm, and by 5pm, the survivors reached us. We used boats to transport them to safety with military assistance. Around 200 individuals managed to escape, reporting over 40 fatalities among them, mostly consisting of fishermen and crop farmers,” noted the CJTF member.
Dumba is situated approximately 7km from the well-known Baga fishing community, a region renowned for its fishing activities due to its proximity to the river and the border with the Republic of Chad.
