Around 70 local farmers were reportedly killed by gunmen suspected to be members of the Boko Haram terrorist group in Mafa village, located in Yobe State’s Tarmuwa local government area.
Gunmen had attacked the village on Sunday evening, setting houses ablaze and killing an unspecified number of residents.
The Yobe State Police Command confirmed the attack but did not provide specific details regarding the day it occurred.
However, new information indicates that the victims’ bodies are now being collected and prepared for burial today, Tuesday, in Babbangida town, the headquarters of Tarmuwa local government area.
Sources believe the attack was in retaliation against the villagers for allegedly providing intelligence to the military, which led to the killing of several insurgents last month.
In response to the tragic incident, Audu Bulama Bukar, a UK-based advocate for Human Rights, Rule of Law, Peace, and Social Justice, expressed his dismay over the attack on innocent citizens. He urged the nation’s security forces to intensify efforts to prevent a resurgence of violence in the Northeast.
“On August 30, Boko Haram issued an ultimatum, ordering the villagers to leave. Despite this clear threat, no security personnel were deployed to protect the community, leaving them completely defenseless. Their only ‘crime’ was assisting the security forces.
This fear of retaliation and sense of abandonment is discouraging communities in the affected areas from supporting the military.
Boko Haram attacks on civilians have been rising recently, following a period of relative calm. If we lower our guard, Boko Haram could rebuild and return even stronger. We have seen this happen before and cannot afford to repeat the same mistake,” he posted on his Facebook page.