Published: 10:36 AM, 29 November 2020
According to an anti-jihadist militia Near the northeasternNigerian city of Maiduguri at least 43 farm workers killed and six injured by BokoHaram fighters in rice fields on Saturday. They tied up the farmers and slittheir throats in the village of Koshobe, the militia said.
Nigerian President Muhammadu Buhari condemned the attack,saying: “The entire country has been wounded by these senseless killings.”
Last month Boko Haram militants slaughtered 22 farmers intwo separate incidents while working in the fields near Maiduguri.
“We have recovered 43 dead bodies, all of them slaughtered,along with six others with serious injuries,” said militia leader Babakura Kolo,who helped the survivors.
“It is no doubt the handiwork of Boko Haram who operate inthe area and frequently attack farmers.”
The victims were labourers from Sokoto state in northwesternNigeria, roughly 1,000 kilometres (600 miles) away, who had travelled to thenortheast to find work, said another militiaman Ibrahim Liman who gave the sametoll.
“There were 60 farmers who were contracted to harvest paddyin the rice fields. Forty-three were slaughtered, with six injured,” Liman said.Eight others presumed to have been kidnapped by the jihadists as they weremissing, he said.
The bodies were taken to Zabarmari village, two kilometresaway, where they would be kept ahead of burial on Sunday, said resident Mala Bunuwho took part in the search and rescue operation.
Boko Haram and ISWAP, its IS-linked rival, have increasinglytargeted loggers, herders and fishermen in their violent campaign, accusingthem of spying and passing information to the military and the local militiafighting them.
At least 36,000 people have been killed in the jihadistconflict, which has displaced around two million since 2009.
The violence has also spread into neighbouring Niger, Chadand Cameroon, prompting a regional military coalition to fight the militants.
The attack took place as voters went to the polls in local electionsin Borno State.
The elections had been repeatedly postponed because of anincrease in attacks by Boko Haram and ISWAP.