No fewer than 23 farmers and fishermen were killed in an an attack by the Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) in Malam Karanti village near Baga, Kukawa local government area of Borno State on Thursday, sources said yesterday.
Malam Karanti is five kilometres from Baga in Kukawa local government area. It is an ISWAP enclave where residents farm and fish despite the risks.
Sources said the terrorists gathered farmers and fishermen near the village and killed 23 beans farmers.
“The terrorists spared an elderly man who later alerted the community. They assembled people in Malam Karanti and killed them. Most of the victims were beans farmers,” sources said.
Residents attempting to recover bodies were forced to retreat after ISWAP launched another attack.
“We tried to organise a rescue mission with security agencies to recover the victims’ bodies, but the terrorists returned and prevented us.
Many families are waiting for their loved ones,” a source said.
Meanwhile, the Chief of Defence Staff ( CDS ) Gen Christopher Musa has during his visit on Thursday assured residents of Borno and Northeast that the military was frantically working to deal with the terrorists and flush them out of their enclaves.