29th November, 2020
By Taiwo Okanlawon
Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum on Sunday led relatives and residents to bury 43 farmers murdered by Boko Haram fighters.
A statement from the government said the funeral held at Zabarmari area of Borno.
Appealing to the federal government to recruit more persons into the civilian joint task force, Zulum expressed sympathy with the family of the deceased.
“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.”
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.”
The victims lived in Zabarmari, a farming community in Jere Local Government Area, famous for rice cultivation and local processing. They were attacked on Saturday at Koshebe village a place in Mafa Local Government Area.
The governor, during his visit, was told that the death toll was yet to be fully ascertained.
“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,” a resident was quoted as telling the governor.