Boko Haram Attack Leaves Many Farmers Dead, Several Missing in Borno

Boko Haram Attack Leaves Many Farmers Dead, Several Missing in Borno

Many farmers have been killed while several others remain missing after suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked farming communities in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.

The attack occurred on Wednesday across Ala, Gumna and Musune wards, near the headquarters of the local government area, according to local sources.

The victims had reportedly gone to their farms to harvest crops when the insurgents ambushed them. Efforts to recover those killed continued into Thursday morning as community members searched the affected farmlands.

A local source said five bodies were initially recovered from the fields, while more were discovered during subsequent searches. Several other people could not be found after the attack and were believed to have been abducted.

The Borno State Police Command confirmed that 15 people were killed in the incident.

The command’s spokesperson, DSP Kenneth Nahum Daso, said security authorities were investigating the attack and making efforts to determine the whereabouts of those still missing.

A relative of one of the victims described the attack as brutal, saying the farmers were allegedly forced to lie down before being shot at close range.

Following the incident, community members mobilised to search the fields, recover the bodies and arrange their burial in accordance with Islamic rites.

The attack has attracted condemnation from Amnesty International, which described the killings as a serious violation of international humanitarian law.

In a statement issued on Friday, the organisation said the victims were local residents who had ventured into surrounding areas to earn a living or harvest their crops before they were allegedly ambushed by suspected Boko Haram fighters.

Amnesty International called on Nigerian authorities to take immediate steps to protect vulnerable communities in the North-East and ensure that security measures are implemented in accordance with human rights standards.

The latest attack highlights the continuing danger faced by farming communities in Borno, where insurgency has repeatedly disrupted agricultural activities and made access to farmlands increasingly risky.

Marte has remained a major flashpoint in the North-East insurgency, with Boko Haram and its Islamic State-linked offshoot, ISWAP, carrying out repeated attacks against civilians and military positions.

In January 2021, ISWAP fighters attacked the Nigerian Army’s 153 Task Force Battalion base in Marte, killing seven soldiers and reportedly taking weapons and military equipment.

Nigerian troops later launched a counteroffensive with air support between February 23 and 25, retaking New Marte and surrounding communities while reportedly killing 19 insurgents and recovering weapons and improvised explosive device components.

Despite the military response, insurgents continued attacks around Marte and neighbouring Dikwa, resulting in further displacement and insecurity.

Human Rights Watch later reported that insurgents continued to attack civilians in the area, including the killing of nine scrap-metal scavengers in January 2022.

In October 2024, insurgents reportedly ambushed a convoy travelling along the Dikwa-New Marte road, killing two soldiers and several members of the Civilian Joint Task Force.

The violence also affected military installations in the area, with ISWAP fighters launching attacks on forward operating bases and reportedly killing soldiers, destroying military equipment and taking away arms and ammunition.

Another assault on the 153 Battalion base reportedly occurred days later during the early hours of the morning, with the attackers arriving on motorcycles and gun trucks.

Although the army later announced that troops had regained control of the base, the attacks reportedly resulted in further casualties, damaged military vehicles and the loss of weapons.

The renewed insecurity also disrupted plans to return displaced residents to Marte.

Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum had planned to resettle thousands of displaced residents, but the worsening security situation forced the exercise to be suspended.

Zulum said about 20,000 people had moved from Marte to Dikwa, stressing the need to protect the remaining communities under government control.