Insurgents storm fishing community of Gadan Gari in the Bama district, kill 13 and wound several – locals suspect death toll could be higher as many fishermen are still missing.

At least 13 fishermen have been killed and several wounded in an attack by insurgents on Gadan Gari in the Bama Local Government Area of Borno State in northeastern Nigeria.

Insurgents, suspected of being members of the Jamā’at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da’way Wa’l-Jihād (JAS), more commonly referred to as Boko Haram, stormed the fishing community and opened fire on the fishermen at about 12pm on Wednesday, January 22.

Gadan Gari is a popular fishing area and it is the main source of livelihood for thousands of locals and visitors.

Despite insecurity and an escalation in the number of attacks and kidnappings in the past few months, people from all over the state go to the village to catch fish to eat and to sell.

Modu Abbas, a member of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF) in Bama, told RNI that Wednesday’s attack came just a week after about 50 fishermen were abducted by insurgents. Unusually, the captives were released despite not paying ransom money.

“People catch fish in rivers around Gadan Gari village to earn a living and to get what they can for their families to eat.

“Lots of people live in the village even though it is known to be a dangerous zone because of its proximity to towns and communities on the fringes of the Sambisa Forest, where insurgents are known to have hideouts.

“The place is supposed to be a no-go area due because Boko Haram insurgents are always around. The insurgents also rely heavily on the rivers around the area for food.

“Although security operatives and locals are aware of the security situation of Gadan Gari, people – even outsiders – go to the area because of the good fishing. It is their only means of making a living.

“The insurgents have even warned the locals not to touch or tamper with anything belonging to them. We are not sure what happened on Wednesday but perhaps some fishermen crossed the insurgents’ red line, which might have led to the deadly attack.”

Abbas said three of the dead fishermen lived in Bama town and were visiting Gadan Gari to fish.

“With the help of the military, members of the CJTF and other security operatives, we were able to find 13 corpses. There are still people missing, so the death toll could end up being higher. We took the corpses and they were buried according to Islamic rites.

“Despite the deadly attack, people are still going to the community to catch fish. Sometimes, hundreds of locals go fishing in secret, without the knowledge of the security operatives.

“It is well known that insurgents have warned locals not to inform security operatives when they go fishing in the area. But people have to eat and make money. If they do not fish, they do not have any other means to provide food for their families.

“Since the Boko Haram insurgency started in 2009 – almost 16 years now – we [the CJTF] have sacrificed our lives, trying to oust the insurgents and to protect the lives and property of our people.

“I urge locals to support security operatives by informing them of the insurgents’ movements and any other intelligence that could prove useful. I urge them not to collude or connive with Boko Haram or ISWAP [Islamic State West Africa State] fighters.

“I also beg all the people of Borno State to pray for the end of the insurgency – once and for all.”

Neither the military nor Borno State government officials have commented on Wedenesday’s attack.

SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNO