Six more farmers have been beheaded by insurgents after they ventured into a nearby forest on the outskirts of Damboa town. They were buried on Tuesday morning.
One was severely wounded and is receiving treatment at the Fato Sandi hospital in the town.
The attack occurred on Monday, June 26. Residents of Damboa town told RNI that they were frightened and were too scared to go to their farmlands.
Bukar Lawan was one of the lucky ones to escape the attack. He said a group of farmers mostly from Kirikasamma village in Damboa Central had gone to a nearby forest on the outskirts of Damboa town to farm and collect wood. Suddenly, seemingly from out of nowhere, they were surrounded by insurgents who had guns, knives and cutlasses.
“The insurgents stopped us in the forest while we were riding our bicycles. They took us to a garden covered in grass and trees deep within the forest. The insurgents separated us into two groups. The young farmers were in one group and the older farmers in the other.
“Right in front of us, the insurgents started to slaughter the six young farmers. Even though the insurgents had guns, they used their knives and cutlasses to behead the youngsters. They also severely wounded one of the young farmers. The attack was brutal and gruesome.
“For some unknown reason, the insurgents spared the lives of the older farmers and so we were able to escape the horrendous attack.”
He said he did not know why the insurgents did not shoot the young farmers instead of slaughtering them like animals.
“Only five corpses were buried on Friday morning. The authorities are waiting for the family of the sixth victim so that they can bury their loved one. The young farmer who was severely wounded is being treated at the Fato Sandi hospital in Damboa town.”
Mohammed Shettima, a resident of Damboa, said the gruesome attack was frightening everyone in the town.
“The Borno State government needs to do something about these attacks. All the locals are terrified because they know they could be the next ones killed. Most of us are farmers. Urgent action must be taken by beefing up security in the area. We need more soldiers, agro-rangers, civilian joint task force members, hunters and vigilantes. That’s the only way to protect the farmers on their lands. We are in the rainy season when farming should be taking place. The farmers need to be on their lands. It is their only means of making a living and feeding their families.”
Fatima Mohammed, also a resident of Damboa town, told RNI that the gruesome killing of the innocent farmers had triggered extreme fear and concern among the inhabitants of the town. She said just about everyone in the town was a farmer and relied on cultivating crops to make money and to eat.
“People are extremely stressed. We are all living in fear. It is very difficult. The farmers know they need to go to their lands even though they are not safe. If they stay at home we will starve to death.
“Our husbands, brothers and just about all of the men here depend solely on farming activities to get food for their families and to sell their produce. If they cannot farm, the hunger will kill us all, especially our little children who are most vulnerable. I am pleading with the government to strengthen security in the area to safeguard our lives and property.”
The attack on Monday happened four days after Borno State governor Babagana Umara Zulum reiterated the government’s commitment to strengthen security. He made a pledge to provide adequate security to stop the slaying of farmers.
SHETTIMA LAWAN MONGUNO
