Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have ambushed and killed at least 15 farmers and firewood gatherers in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.
The attack took place on Wednesday evening in the Ala and Musune ward areas of Marte, where eighteen residents went into the bush to work on their farms and collect firewood, but only 15 bodies were found after a search party the next day by members of the community. Three people still remain missing at the time this report was published.
According to eyewitnesses, the attackers surrounded the workers, tied them up, and executed them at close range. The members of the community has since gathered the remains from the farm fields on Thursday and buried them according to Islamic rites.
Borno State Police Command confirmed the attack on Friday through it Public Relations Officer, SP Nahum Daso, who stated that security personnel have been deployed to gather the full details about the incident while searching for the missing residents.
Human rights organization Amnesty International has condemned the incident, calling the killings a clear breach of international humanitarian law.
“The victims were local residents who went into the surrounding bush to gather firewood to earn a living or cook for their families,” Amnesty International said in a statement.
The group urged the government to take immediate action to safeguard rural communities in the region.
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