Boko Haram displaces 1,300 in Borno, says NEMA

The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) yesterday said 12 farmers were killed and 1,300 others displaced in separate attacks coordinated by Boko Haram insurgents in Borno State.

NEMA’s Northeast Zonal Coordinator Bashir Garga stated this in a statement in Maiduguri, the state capital.

Garba said the insurgents killed 12 farmers on their fields on Saturday afternoon at Kalle village, 17 kilometres from Maiduguri.

“They used machetes to kill their victims who were working on their farms, as confirmed by members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF).

“So far, we recovered 12 bodies from the fields and nearby bush.

“Three persons were injured in the raids. The insurgents had guns, but did not use them so as not to attract the attention of troops in nearby Molai village,” he said.

Garga said the Boko Haram insurgents stepped up attacks on farmers and loggers in recent years because they accuse them of passing information to the military.

The coordinator added that one person was killed and 1,300 others displaced when the insurgents sacked three communities on Saturday night in Jere Local Government Area.

Garga listed the affected communities as Dala-Malari, Fuguri and Femari.

The NEMA zonal coordinator urged the residents to be vigilant and report suspicious movements and persons to security agents.

He said: “Attacks on soft targets are the hallmarks of the insurgents due to increased military clampdown that has curtailed their activities.

“Humanitarian partners were being mobilised to cater for the victims as soon as possible.”

Also, troops at the weekend repelled an attack by Boko Haram on Mairari and Femari communities in Konduga Local Government Area of Borno State.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the insurgents attacked the communities at about 8.30 p.m, killed one person, set houses ablaze and carted away food items.