Saturday’s killing of rice farmers at Kwashebe by Boko Haram insurgents in the Jere Local Government Area of Borno State attracted strong condemnations from eminent Nigerians and groups on Sunday.
The AFP had on Saturday reported that the insurgents attacked Kwashebe and killed no fewer than 43 rice farmers.
The terrorists were reported to have tied up the farmers, who were working on rice fields, before slitting their throats.
Although a member of the state Civilian Joint Task Force, Babakura Kolo, who assisted some of the survivors, put the number of people killed at 43, the United Nations on Sunday said 110 rice farmers lost their lives during the attack.
Groups and individuals, including All Farmers’ Association of Nigeria; the President of the Senate, Dr Ahmed Lawan; the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila and the Coalition of Northern Groups, lamented that the attack would affect food security in the country.
On Sunday, the UN shed more light on the attack, contrary to earlier reports, it said 110 civilians were killed by Boko Haram.
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Nigeria, Mr Edward Kallon, who disclosed this, also said, many other persons were injured in the deadly attack by the terrorist group.
Also, the Amnesty International in a tweet on Sunday disclosed that 16 of the victims were internally displaced persons.
But Kallon, in a statement on Sunday, titled, ‘Statement on attack against civilians in Koshobe, Borno,’ stated, “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.”
He disclosed that the afternoon attack was carried out by armed men on motorcycles, who murdered men and women, who were harvesting their fields in Kwashebe and other rural communities in the Jere Local Government Area.
Kallon, while condoling with the government and people of Nigeria, also said many women might have been kidnapped during the attack