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Suspected Islamic State of West Africa Province (ISWAP) insurgents, have killed at least 15 farmers in the Baga area of Kukawa Local Government Area of Borno State.
The killers were reported to have moved to Baga after running away from military operations in the Sambisa forest.
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Local sources said the farmers left their community on Wednesday for their farms and fishing sites when they encountered the insurgents.
Thee insurgents reportedly took the farmers to Malam Karanti, a village believed to be under the terrorists’ control, and slaughtered them.
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“Our people have been killed by Boko Haram. As I speak, we are yet to recover the bodies but we were told they are more than 15,” a source in Baga said.
He said residents cannot move far from their homes without the insurgents attacking them.
According to the source, killing of farmers had become routine for the insurgents.
An elderly man in Baga described the incidents between insurgents and farmers in the area as a clash over resources.
He said the insurgents had imposed fees for fishing or farming.
“They had established gates that people must pass to access the river and farms. They also issue clearance tickets for the farmers, and people get killed when they try to bypass these protocols.
“Boko Haram have their gates. If you pass without their clearance ticket or try to bypass their gates, they will kill you,” the elderly man said, asking this reporter not to mention his name for fear of being tracked down by the terrorists.
“People have to go out to look for food because there is nothing to rely on except farming and fishing,” he added.
The sources said there was tension in the community, Friday night, as families searched for the bodies of their loved ones while others grieved.
The insurgents, once believed to have been degraded, have grown in strength and renewed attacks, including on military bases across Borno.
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Following their attack on four military bases in Borno early on Monday and Tuesday, which resulted in the killing of soldiers, the Nigerian Army commenced operations against the insurgents.
Soldiers had reportedly been engaging the insurgents in the Sambisa forest.
According to reports, insurgents running away from the military operations have been attacking communities.
The authorities are yet to speak on the development.
