The Armed Forces of Nigeria on Monday disagreed with the United Nations Resident Coordinator and Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, on the number of the rice farmers killed by Boko Haram on Saturday, saying that far from the 110 killed as given by the UN, the actual figure remains 43.
The UN Resident Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Edward Kallon, on Sunday said the terrorists killed over 110 farmers, not 43, on Saturday in Zabarmari village, a rice farming community in Jere Local Government Area of Borno State, Northeast Nigeria.
Mr Kallon said in a statement: “I am outraged and horrified by the gruesome attack against civilians carried out by non-state armed groups in villages near Borno State capital Maiduguri. At least 110 civilians were ruthlessly killed and many others were wounded in this attack.
“The entire UN system and the humanitarian community working to provide life-saving and development assistance to the most vulnerable in Borno State is outraged by the incident. Such direct attacks against innocent civilians jeopardize the ability for the most vulnerable people to survive the adversity there are facing, and which we are striving to alleviate.”
But on Monday, Coordinator, Defence Media Operations, Major General John Enenche, faulted the UN figure, stating that as of Monday morning, 43 corpses were recovered from the incident scene in the Zabarmari area.
The Boko Haram terrorists had killed some of the farmers, rounded up others, tied them up, slitting their throats left to die in a gruesome manner.
General Enenche said while featuring on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme that “I knew it (the issue) is going to come up particularly because it is coming from the United Nations and not a source that does not want to be identified. This is a source that has identified itself that a 110 specifically (were murdered).”
Enenche, however, explained that he contacted the Field Commanders and “they gave me a synopsis of what happened. When the Governor was to go (to the scene) and after they had recovered the dead, the troops had to move in there and they counted 43.
“Of course, some people ran into the bush and they started coming back and trickling in. As at 2pm yesterday (Sunday), I called them and they got back to me at about 7pm yesterday, still counting, looking if they will recover (more corpses). We call it Exploitation after Action Review.”
The Armed Forces of Nigeria Spokesperson said the search for more remains of victims is still on but insisted that 43 corpses were retrieved from the scene as of today.
“Probably we may count up to the figure he (Kallon) gave in the future but as it is now, what we have counted with the locals is still 43 and we are hoping that we don’t get beyond that.
“This is the real situation. I did not sleep. We had to follow it because this is very relevant coming from the United Nations.”
The massacre of the rice farmers had attracted both local and international condemnations.
