Suspected extremists killed at least 40 rice farmers and fishermen in Nigeria. Authorities in Nigeria said they suspected that members of the Islamic militant group Boko Haram were behind the attack. The extremists killed the farmers and fishers while they harvested crops in Nigeria’s northern state of Borno. On the same day, the attack happened in a rice field in Garin Kwashebe residents of the area were casting votes for the first time in 13 years to elect local councils. But many of the residents of Borno did not cast their votes on that fateful day.
Suspected Extremists Kill Farmers and Fishermen in Garin Kwashebe
In Borno state, the Boko Haram and a breakaway faction known as the Islamic State West Africa Province carry out numerous attacks. Because of the attacks that have gone on for more than a decade, thousands have died while some tens of thousands remain displaced. Law enforcement officials in Borno say that Boko Haram members often force the residents to pay illegal taxes by taking their livestock and crops. This year, however, some villagers living in Borno began to resist the extortion.
This week the farmers who got killed in Garin Kwashebe refused to pay extortion to one militant. The farmers disarmed and arrested the Boko Haram gunman who had started tormenting them. One resident of Garin told reporters that the lone gunman started to harass the farmers by ordering them to give him money and cook for him. While the gunman waited for the food to be prepared, the farmers seized the moment he stepped into the toilet, snatched his rifle, and tied him up. The farmers, later on, handed the gunman to the security forces in the region.
The security forces, however, failed to protect the courageous farmers from a possible Boko Haram retaliation. The Boko Haram mobilized and attacked the farmers in reprisal for daring them. They rounded up the farmers and killed them for causing the arrest of one of their own and refusing to pay extortion. The insurgents also torched the rice farms before they left Garin Kwashebe. The head of a rice farmers association in Borno state Malam Zabarmari confirmed the massacre to the press. He added that at least 40 and up to 60 people could have been killed in the attacks.
The Presidents Address
When news about the murders at Garin Kwashebe broke out, Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari held an address. In his speech, he expressed grief over the killings of fellow Nigerian citizens in Garin. He condemned the killing of the hardworking farmers by the suspected extremists in Borno State, adding that these senseless killings hurt the entire country. President Muhammadu Buhari said his thoughts and prayer went out to the families in their time of grief. Buhari ended his speech, stating that his government had given the armed forces everything needed to protect the country’s population and its territory.
Ahmed Satomi, a member of the house of representatives representing the Jere Federal constituency of Borno, said at least 44 burials would take place. He added that the attacks affected over 60 farmers but they had retrieved only 44 corpses from the farms so far.
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