Suspected Boko Haram insurgents have ambushed and killed 15 farmers, while abducting three others in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State.
According to local sources, the tragic incident took place across the Ala, Gumna, and Musune wards near the headquarters of the area council, on Wednesday.
While initial reports of the attack reached the community on Wednesday evening, the task of recovering the bodies could not be completed until Thursday morning.
Recounting the borrowing aftermath of the assault, an anonymous source said, "Five bodies were initially recovered from the field, while others were found later. Three persons are still missing, and sources indicate they were abducted by the insurgents."
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The Public Relations Officer, Borno State Police Command, DSP Kenneth Nahum Daso, confirmed that 15 people lost their lives and confirmed that authorities were actively investigating the situation.
"We are making efforts to determine the whereabouts of the three people still missing," Daso said.
A grieving relative, whose cousin was among the victims, shared details of the execution-style killings.
She explained that the victims had gone to their farms to harvest crops when they were ambushed.
"They were forced to lie down and were shot in the head at close range. It was a gory sight," she said.
According to the relative, local community members bravely mobilized to scour the fields, retrieve the bodies, and ensure they were buried according to Islamic rites.
The massacre has drawn widespread outrage, with the human rights organization Amnesty International strongly condemning the violence as a horrific violation of international humanitarian law.
In a statement released on Friday, the organization expressed deep concern over the escalating violence against vulnerable populations in Northeast Nigeria.
"Amnesty International strongly condemns the horrific killing of at least 15 people in Marte Local Government Area of Borno State," the statement read. "The victims, who were local residents venturing into the surrounding areas to earn a living or harvest their crops, were ambushed and targeted by a suspected Boko Haram group."
The rights group emphasized that the deliberate targeting of civilians by non-state armed groups constitutes a war crime.
"Amnesty International calls on the Nigerian authorities to take immediate, transparent, and human-rights-compliant measures to protect vulnerable communities living in the region," the statement concluded.
Despite ongoing military operations in Nigeria's Northeast, farming communities continue to face severe security threats as insurgents frequently target agricultural workers in remote areas
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