- Asks FG To Recruit More Civilian JTF …As Reports Claim 66 Were Killed
The 43 farmers who were victims of the Saturday’s slaughtering by the Boko Haram terrorists in Borno have been buried on Sunday.
Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum led relatives and residents to the burial.
The 43 farmers were murdered on Saturday as the rampaging terrorists tied them down before slaughtering them all.
The farmers were working on a rice fields at Zabarmari, in Jere Local Government area of Borno state, in the beleaguered North-East zone when the terrorists swooped on them.
According to a statement from the state government, the funeral held at Zabarmari area of Borno.
Zulum, who expressed sympathy with the family of the deceased, appealed to the federal government to recruit more persons into the civilian joint task force.
“It is disheartening that more than 40 citizens were slaughtered while they were working in their farmlands.
“Our people are in very difficult situations, they are in two different extreme conditions, on one side they stay at home they may be killed by hunger and starvation, on the other, they go out to their farmlands and risk getting killed by the insurgents,” Zulum said.
He also appealed to the Federal Government “to ensure the recruitment of more of our youths in the CJTF and hunters into the Nigerian military and the Civil Defence so that they can form part of the agro rangers that will protect farmers.”
Meanwhile, there have been reports that the death toll could surpass the 43 persons that have been buried as locals have not been able to retrieve some bodies from the scene of the killings since Saturday.
Also, some reports have put the death toll at 66 as some fishermen were reportedly murdered by the terrorists in the affected area during the onslaught.
Speaking with Governor Zulum on the death toll from the attack, a resident was quoted to have said: “Your Excellency, as you have seen here, 43 corpses were buried, but others have not been retrieved from the scene of the incident. Nobody can tell you the exact number of people killed. Some of the victims are still missing.”
The presidency has described the attack by Boko Haram as “insane” and “senseless,” The New Diplomat had reported.
A statement issued by SSA on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu, Saturday, said: “I condemn the killing of our hardworking farmers by terrorists in Borno State. The entire country is hurt by these senseless killings. My thoughts are with their families in this time of grief. May their souls Rest In Peace.”
