Security operatives find 18 corpses of charcoal burners but many are missing and they say the chances of finding them alive are slim.

Gunmen – believed to be Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’way Wa’l-Jihād (JAS) insurgents – have killed at least 18 charcoal burners in a forest in the villages of Ngarna, Kanama and Bale in the Damboa Local Government Area of Borno State.

Although the murders occurred a week ago on Friday, November 24, security operatives – comprising civilian joint task force (CJTF) members, soldiers and local hunters – are continuing to search for many missing people and corpses in the forest.

Mohammed Lawan, who lives in Damboa town and is a relative of some of the people who were killed, told RNI said that residents received information about the incident from a charcoal burner who narrowly escaped the attack.

He told them that insurgents had initially caught and tied up five charcoal burners in a forest at Ngarna village near Damboa town. Four of them were beheaded with cutlasses and knives. He was the only one who narrowly escaped and ran for his life.

Lawan said the four murdered charcoal burners were identified as Mammadu, Abba Ya’atiye, Yure and Abbati. All were married with children. Selling charcoal was their only source of income.
“They were the breadwinners. We don’t know what will happen to the families. We hope they have relatives with whom they can live. Right now, locals are doing what they can for them.”

Yunusa Buba, also from Damboa town, said the residents were in mourning.
“But they are also fearful. The attack on the innocent charcoal burners was gruesome. They were decapitated and stabbed. We fear for our lives every day of such an attack.”

Resident Alhaji Kawo Malam told RNI that people were so scared that they had stopped going into the forest.

“No one has gone near the forest since the deadly attack even though all of us are either farmers, firewood collectors or charcoal burners and we rely solely on these jobs to make a living. The government and security operatives need to protect us when we are in the forest because, otherwise, we will not make enough money to feed our families and we will all starve to death.”

Abubakar Abatcha, a member of the CJTF in Damboa town confirmed the incident. He said as soon as they had received a report from residents about the incident, the CJTF, local hunters and other security operatives rushed to the scene where they found the four corpses. They were buried on Monday, November 27.
Abatcha said many people were still missing.

“We have intensified security measures and we are still searching for the missing people in areas around Bale village. It was in this area on Tuesday that we found five more corpses. All had been decapitated with axes, cutlasses and knives. It was a gruesome sight. We buried them.”

He said security operatives had found nine more corpses in a forest at Kanama village on Wednesday evening and those bodies were also buried.

“So far, 18 corpses have been found and buried. Security operatives are continuing to patrol and to search for more corpses and the missing people.
“But,” said Abatcha, “it has been a whole week and I’m afraid I do not believe any more people will be found alive.”

He urged the residents, particularly farmers, firewood collectors and charcoal burners, to follow all security protocols before going into the forest.
“They must stop going to remote places in the forest where security operatives cannot guarantee their safety and security.

SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNO