110 farmers were killed in Nigeria massacre. Image Courtesy – Pittsburgh Post-Gazette
A horrifying attack happened in north-eastern Nigeria on the farmers with 110 people killed while they were harvesting the crop. Although there has been no claim of responsibility for the attack, it has been assumed that Boko Haram and its splinter faction could have done this massacre.
The Islamic State in West Africa Province has carried out a series of deadly attacks in that area in recent times. The two groups, Boko Haram and Islamic State in South Africa have been active since the past decade. They have spread to neighbouring countries like Niger, Chad and Cameroon.
Members of the terrorist organization Boko Haram in the northern Borno state of Nigeria killed at least 43 paddy farmers and fishermen while they were harvesting the crop. Officials said that the attack was carried out at a paddy field in Garin Kwashebe area when people from the Borno community were harvesting paddy. The attack was carried out on the day when people were voting for the local government for the first time in 13 years in the state. Although many people did not participate.
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According to the news, the extremists gathered the farmers at one place and then opened fire on them. The massacre has been confirmed by Malam Jabarmari, the leader of the Paddy Farmers Association of Borno State. “Farmers were being attacked while they were working on the paddy fields of the Jabarmari community in Garin Kwashebe. As per the information we received, around 43 people have been killed by Sunday afternoon and the number is expected to be up to 60”, he said.
Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari expressed condolence on Nigeria massacre. He condemned the killing of toiling peasants in Borno State by terrorists. The whole country is saddened by these murders. Muhammadu Buhari expressed his condolences to the families of the victims in this hour of grief. He prayed, “May God rest the soul of the dead”.
Boko Haram fighters killed 22 farmers working on farms near Maiduguri in two separate incidents in the last month also. It has been reported that the terrorist organizations are attacking ISIS-linked Boko Haram and ISWAP shepherds and fishermen accusing them of spying. At least 36,000 people have been killed in jihadi attacks in the country. Apart from this, around two million people have been displaced since 2009.
