[ad_1]
Source, Borno state government
43 farmers were buried on Sunday.
43 people were killed in what the Nigerian president described as “mind-boggling” in an attack in northeast Nigeria.
According to reports from the region, agricultural workers working in the rice fields near Maiduguri, the capital of Borno state, were tied up and killed by slitting their throats.
The incident was claimed to be the bloodiest attack in the region where Boko Haram and the West African branch of ISIS are active in recent months. No one has claimed responsibility for the attack yet.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari said: “I condemn the murder of our farm workers by terrorists in Borno State. The whole country is shocked by these senseless killings. My thoughts are with the grieving families.”
According to his spokesman Garba Shehu, Buhari also said that “the killing of terrorists is unimaginable.”
“We found 43 bodies, they all died, six people were seriously injured,” a militia that helped the survivors told the AFP news agency.
It was later reported that other bodies were found, while the exact number of victims is unknown.
It is among the news that 15 women were kidnapped.
Another militia told AFP that the victims were farm workers from the southwestern state of Sokoto, who traveled 1,000 kilometers to find work in northeast Nigeria.
Source, Borno state government
The victims were buried at a funeral on Sunday.
Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum also attended the victims’ funeral.
The governor asked the federal government to send more troops to protect farmers in the region.
“Our people are in very difficult conditions. On the one hand, if they stay at home, they will starve. On the other hand, if they work in the fields, they will run the risk of being killed by the rebels. This is very sad,” he said .
State Member of Parliament Ahmed Satomi told Premium Times that the farmers were killed on Friday for taking the weapon and arresting a Boko Haram militant who tortured them.
The farmers are said to have previously been targeted by Boko Haram militants who they suspect of having provided information about them to the army.
Last month, Boko Haram militants killed 22 farmers in two different attacks.
Despite efforts to prevent attacks by Boko Haram, the organization has increased its attacks in recent months.
