At least 18 fishermen have been brutally slaughtered and several others remain missing following a violent attack by Boko Haram terrorists in Mobbar Local Government Area of Borno State, near the Niger Republic border.
The massacre occurred on Sunday around 2:30 pm at the Fadana-Garuwa River in Duji Ward, where dozens of Boko Haram fighters stormed the area on motorcycles and rounded up the fishermen. According to eyewitnesses, the victims were accused of collaborating with rival faction ISWAP by leaking movement details.
They overpowered us, gathered our people, and slaughtered them to send a warning,” said Abu Mohammed, a local fisherman who escaped the attack.
Sources indicate the attack was a retaliatory move by the Boko Haram faction controlling parts of the riverine area. The slain fishermen had previously been allowed to fish by ISWAP in exchange for taxes.
The bodies of the victims were recovered and buried on Tuesday in accordance with Islamic rites, but many people remain unaccounted for. The attack highlights the growing brutality between the rival terrorist factions, both of which have intensified attacks on civilians and military targets across Borno, Yobe, and Adamawa states in recent months.