Suspected Boko Haram terrorists have killed at least 15 farmers and firewood gatherers in the Ala and Musune wards of Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.
The victims were reportedly ambushed while carrying out their activities on Wednesday evening, with three others still missing.
Sources said 18 people had gone to the farms and surrounding bush areas, but only 15 bodies were recovered and buried on Thursday according to Islamic rites.
The Public Relations Officer of the Borno State Police Command, Nahum Daso, confirmed the attack on Friday, saying efforts were ongoing to locate the missing persons.
“Yes, there was an attack in Marte. Fifteen people were killed while others are still missing. Efforts are ongoing to determine their whereabouts,” Daso said.
He added that details of the incident were still sketchy, noting that the command would provide further information after completing its data-gathering efforts.
Local sources said the victims were mainly peasant farmers and firewood gatherers, comprising young men, married men and elderly residents.
One of the sources, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the victims were ambushed by suspected terrorists while carrying out their daily activities.
“They were ambushed by terrorists while carrying out their daily work, bound, forced to lie down, and executed at close range,” the source alleged.
The source further claimed that some of the victims were decapitated, making identification difficult.
“Many people were killed. Some were not even recognisable. So far, we have buried 15 out of the 18; we are currently searching for three persons,” the source said.
Another source said members of the community later recovered the bodies from the farmland and surrounding areas before burying them in accordance with Islamic rites.
“It was after the incident that community members picked their bodies from the farm where they were massacred. The bodies found have been buried according to Islamic rites,” the source said.
The attack has also drawn condemnation from Amnesty International, which described the killings as horrific and called for urgent measures to protect vulnerable communities in the area.
In a statement issued on Friday, the human rights organisation said at least 15 people were killed on Thursday, October 1, in Marte Local Government Area.
According to the organisation, the victims were local residents who had ventured into the surrounding bush to gather firewood either for income or to meet the needs of their families when they were allegedly ambushed by suspected Boko Haram fighters.
Amnesty International said the targeting of civilians by non-state armed groups amounted to a grave violation of international humanitarian law.
It called on the Nigerian authorities to take immediate, transparent and human-rights-compliant measures to protect residents of communities affected by the ongoing insecurity in the region.
