Jihadists Kill Over 40 Farmers in Nigeria’s Borno State Amid Rivalry and Territorial Clash
At least 40 farmers were killed in Nigeria’s Borno state during a brutal attack by jihadists, according to a government official.
The violence occurred on Sunday night when Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants targeted farmers in Dumba near Lake Chad, executing them, said Borno’s information commissioner, Usman Tar.
“Initial findings show about 40 farmers lost their lives, and we are tracking others who fled to reunite them with their families,” Tar stated.
The state government has instructed military forces to intensify efforts to eliminate the insurgents responsible for the attack in Dumba and surrounding areas, known as militant strongholds.
The farmers had reportedly ventured beyond the military’s designated safe zones near Lake Chad, an area fraught with landmines and militant activity, Tar explained.
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The Lake Chad region, shared by Nigeria, Chad, Cameroon, and Niger, has long served as a base for ISWAP and Boko Haram militants. These groups use the area to coordinate attacks and control local activities, including farming and fishing.
Local sources suggest the actual death toll may exceed 100. According to Babakura Kolo, an anti-jihadist militia leader, the farmers were punished for encroaching on ISWAP-controlled areas without paying levies, having previously struck a deal with Boko Haram to farm near the lake.
The ongoing rivalry between ISWAP and Boko Haram, which began in 2016, has intensified since ISWAP ousted Boko Haram from its Sambisa Forest stronghold and took control of Lake Chad’s shores.
Since the start of the insurgency in 2009, over 40,000 people have been killed, and more than two million displaced in northeast Nigeria.
Jihadists Kill Over 40 Farmers in Nigeria’s Borno State Amid Rivalry and Territorial Clash
