Not fewer than 35 displaced persons who went on a fishing expedition have been shot dead by Islamic State of the West African (ISWAP) terrorists in Ngala Local Government Area of Borno State.
Daily Trust gathered from sources that the ISWAP fighters had on several occasions warned the fishermen to stay away from their zones before they unleashed terror on them on Wednesday.
A local, who escaped from the attack, said the terrorists surrounded the fishermen near the riverbanks and opened fire on them, killing at least 35 people while many others were missing.
The survivor told our correspondent that the incident occurred at Mukdolo under Ngala Local Government bordering Dikwa village, adding that “unfortunately all the victims were IDPs from Dikwa town.”
“They rode on motorbikes from a nearby forest and surrounded us at riverbanks and they said they have warned us to stay away from there.
“They started shooting at all angles and only three of us made it back to Dikwa. I can tell you more than 35 people were killed. As I speak many are yet to return to Dikwa town,” he said.
Corroborating the account, Zagazola Makama, a Counter-Insurgency Expert and Security Analyst in the Lake Chad region, said dozens of the terrorists riding on motorcycles stormed the field and began shooting sporadically.
He said nine among the victims managed to flee, with three of them sustaining bullet wounds.
“They asked them to lie down. Thereafter, they used their fishing net and wrapped them before they started torturing them. After they became unconscious, they opened fire on them, killing them instantly.
“The bodies of the 26 farmers were later recovered during search and rescue operation by troops who received the news from victims who fled the attack,” Makama added.
First published in Daily Trust