Boko Haram terrorists have killed about 35 people on a fishing expedition in the Ngala local government area of Borno state.
The Dikwa Emirate Council and the Borno state government have commiserated with the deceased families and prayed for the quick recovery of the injured.
It was learned that the terrorists had warned the fishermen on several occasions to keep off from their zones, but the locals rebuffed their warning because they had no option but to go fishing and other endeavors to fend for their families.
One of the survivors narrated that all the victims were IDPs from Dikwa town and that the incident occurred at Mukdolo under Ngala Local Government bordering Dikwa village.
He said the marauders “rode on motorbikes from a nearby forest and surrounded us at riverbanks and 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.
The AFP news agency gave a higher figure, saying that a dozen militants opened fire on the fishermen outside Guggo village, 18 kilometers (12 miles) from the town of Dikwa.
Babakura Kolo, said: “We recovered 37 bodies last night along the river bank and nearby bushes”.
“The figure is not exhaustive and the search for more bodies is ongoing in surrounding bushes”.
According to Umar Ari, they were ambushed when fishermen were sorting out their catch of the fateful day on the bank of a river.
“The terrorists pursued the fishermen as they tried to flee, shooting them dead but three managed to escape and alerted Dikwa about the attack,” Ari said.
The Director, Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Musa Danmadami said the victims could not have been IDPs as reported, saying they were supposed to be in a camp, not to go fishing.
The spokesman of Governor Babagana Zulum, Isa Gusau said the government received the news of the attack with shock.
“The governor has received with pain, a report about the killing of over 30 fishermen in Mukdolo village within Ngala local government area. Most of them, below 30 years of age, was said to have gone fishing early morning yesterday.”
“Unfortunately, two of the rescued six also died from injuries. This means about 30 died while four persons survived the unfortunate attack,” he said.
The zonal Coordinator of the Borno State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) for the Borno Central senatorial zone, Rawa Gana Modu led officials of the agency to attend the funeral of the deceased.
Similarly, in a statement yesterday, the Shehu of Dikwa, Alhaji Ibrahim Ibn Umar Ibrahim El- Kanemi, expressed sadness over the killing.
The statement, which was signed by Zannah Wawurma of Dikwa, Abubakar mala Gajibo, quoted the monarch as describing the incident as disturbing and prayed for the repose of the souls of the deceased.
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